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One,  dtsmdhsd.  JhMif-MconcL 
ANNUAL 

COnfEfiCtlCE 

OF  THE  CHURCH  OF  JESUS  CHRIST 
OF  LATTER-DAY  SAINTS 


Held  in  the  Tabernacle 
Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

OpJuL  6,  7,  and  8,  1962 

With  Report  of  Discourses 

Published  by 

The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints 

Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 


The  One  Hundred  Thirty-second  Annual 

Conference  of  The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ 

of  Latter-day  Saints 


The  One  Hundred  Thirty-Second  An- 
nual Conference  of  the  Church  of 
Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  was 
held  in  the  Tabernacle,  Salt  Lake  City, 
Utah,  Friday,  Saturday,  and  Sunday, 
April  6,  7,  and  8,  1962. 

The  general  sessions  of  the  Conference 
were  held  at  10:00  a.m.  and  2:00  p.m. 
Friday,  Saturday  and  Sunday,  and  the 
General  Priesthood  meeting  was  held 
in  the  Tabernacle  Saturday  evening, 
April  7  at  7:00  p.m. 

All  general  sessions  of  the  Conference 
were  broadcast  to  overflow  gatherings  in 
the  Assembly  Hall  on  Temple  Square 
and  in  Barratt  Hall  (60  North  Main 
Street),  over  a  loudspeaking  system  and 
by  television.  Additional  thousands 
listened  to  the  services  on  the  Taber- 
nacle Grounds  by  means  of  amplifying 
equipment. 

The  proceedings  were  broadcast  and 
telecast  over  Station  KSL  and  KSL-TV 
at  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  and  by  arrange- 
ment through  KSL,  stations  throughout 
the  United  States  and  Canada  and  else- 
where made  available  to  their  listen- 
ing or  viewing  audiences  one  or  more 
of  the  six  general  sessions. 

The  General  Priesthood  meeting  was 
relayed  by  closed  circuit  to  members  of 
the  Priesthood  gathered  in  the  Assembly 
Hall,  Barratt  Hall  and  320  other  Church 
buildings  from  Coast  to  Coast  and  in 
Canada. 

The  Sunday  morning  services  were 
carried  by  short  wave  broadcast  to 
Europe,  Africa,  Mexico,  Central  Amer- 
ica, South  America,  the  Caribbean  area 
and  the  South  Pacific. 

President  David  O.  McKay  was  pres- 
ent and  presided  at  each  of  the  sessions 
and  conducted  the  services  of  each 
meeting,  with  the  exception  of  the  Gen- 
eral Priesthood  meeting,  which  was 
conducted  by  President  Hugh  B.  Brown, 
Second  Counselor  in  the  First  Presidency. 

A  full  report  of  the  Tabernacle  Choir 
and  Organ  Broadcast  is  also  included  in 
this  record.  (See  pages  127  to  128.) 


Elder  Joseph  Anderson  was  Clerk  of 
the  Conference. 

General  Authorities  of  the  Church 
Present 

The  First  Presidency:  David  O. 
McKay,  Henry  D.  Moyle,  Hugh  B. 
Brown. 

The  Quorum  of  the  Twelve  Apostles: 
Joseph  Fielding  Smith,  Harold  B.  Lee, 
Spencer  W.  Kimball,  Ezra  Taft  Benson, 
Mark  E.  Petersen,  *,  Marion  G.  Romney, 
LeGrand  Richards,  Richard  L.  Evans, 
**,  Howard  W.  Hunter,  Gordon  B. 
Hinckley. 

Patriarch  to  the  Church:  Eldred  G. 
Smith. 

Assistants  to  the  Twelve  Apostles: 
Alma  Sonne,  ElRay  L.  Christiansen,  ***, 
Sterling  W.  Sill,  Henry  D.  Taylor,  Wil- 
liam J.  Critchlow,  Jr.,  Alvin  R.  Dyer, 
Nathan  Eldon  Tanner,  Franklin  D. 
Richards,  Theodore  M.  Burton,  Thorpe 
B.  Isaacson,  Boyd  K.  Packer. 

The  First  Council  of  the  Seventy: 
Levi  Edgar  Young,  Antoine  R.  Ivins, 
Seymour  Dilworth  Young,  Milton  R. 
Hunter,  ****,  *****,  A.  Theodore 
Tuttle. 

Presiding  Bishopric:  John  H.  Vanden- 
berg,  Robert  L.  Simpson,  Victor  L. 
Brown. 

General  Officers  and  Other 
Authorities  Present 

Church  Historian  and  Recorder:  Jo- 
seph Fielding  Smith,  and  assistants,  A. 
William  Lund  and  Preston  Nibley. 

Members  of  the  General  Welfare 
Committee,  Church  Welfare  Program. 

Members  of  the  Church  Board  of 
Education  and  Chancellor  of  the  Church 

*Elder  Delbert  L.  Stapley  absent  because  of  illness. 

**Elder  George  Q.  Morris  absent  because  of  illness. 

***Elder  John  Longden  filling  an  official  Church 
appointment  in  the  South  Pacific. 

••••Elder  Bruce  R.  McConkie  presiding  over  the 
Southern    Australian    Mission. 

•••••Elder  Marion  D.  Hanks  presiding  over  the 
British    Mission. 


2  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

School  System,  Directors  and  Associate  selors,  Presidents  of  Temples,  Patriarchs, 

Directors    of   Institutes,    and    Seminary  High  Priests,  Seventies,  Elders. 

Instructors.  Auxiliary  Officers,  General,  Stake,  and 

Presidents  of  Stakes  and  their  Coun-  Ward,  from  all  parts  of  the  Church. 


FIRST  DAY 
MORNING  MEETING 


The  opening  session  of  the  One  Hun- 
dred Thirty-Second  Annual  Conference 
of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter- 
day  Saints  convened  in  the  great  Taber- 
nacle on  Temple  Square  in  Salt  Lake 
City  Friday  morning,  April  6,  1962  at 
10:00  a.m.,  with  President  David  O. 
McKay  presiding  and  conducting  the 
services. 

The  music  for  this  session  was  fur- 
nished by  the  Brigham  Young  Univer- 
sity Combined  Choruses,  with  Kurt 
Weinzinger  conducting.  Elder  Alex- 
ander Schreiner  was  at  the  organ  console. 

In  opening  the  Conference  President 
McKay  made  the  following  introductory 
remarks: 

President  David  O.  McKay: 

This  is  the  opening  session  of  the  One 
Hundred  Thirty-Second  Annual  Confer- 
ence of  The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter-day  Saints.  We  are  convened  in 
the  historic  Tabernacle  on  Temple 
Square  in  Salt  Lake  City.  All  the  Gen- 
eral Authorities  of  the  Church  are  in 
attendance  this  morning  excepting 
Elders  Delbert  L.  Stapley  and  George 
Q.  Morris  of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve 
who  are  convalescing  in  the  hospital; 
Elder  John  Longden,  Assistant  to  the 
Twelve,  who  is  filling  an  official  Church 
appointment  in  the  South  Pacific;  Elder 
Bruce  R.  McConkie  of  the  First  Council 
of  the  Seventy  who  is  presiding  over  the 
Southern  Australian  Mission;  Elder 
Marion  D.  Hanks  of  the  First  Council 
of  Seventy  who  is  presiding  over  the 
British  Mission.  Elder  Milton  R.  Hunter 
of  the  First  Council  of  Seventy  is  here, 
but  he  shouldn't  be.  He  is  recuperating 
from  an  illness. 

You  will  be  interested  in  knowing  that 
through  the  generous  cooperation  of 
owners  and  managers  of  radio  and  tele- 
vision stations  across  the  nation  it  will 
be  possible  for  millions  to  listen  to  the 
proceedings  of  this  Conference.  A  total 
of  51  television  and  24  radio  stations 
will  be  carrying  the  various  sessions. 
These  stations  are  located  from  Coast 
to  Coast.    For  the  first  time  the  voices 


of  the  General  Authorities  assembled  in 
a  General  Conference  will  be  beamed 
to  the  members  of  the  Church  and 
friends  in  the  Eastern  section  of  the 
United  States. 

In  addition,  the  proceedings  of  the 
session  Sunday  morning,  April  8,  will  be 
carried  by  short  wave  to  Europe,  Africa, 
Mexico,  Central  America,  South  Amer- 
ica, the  Caribbean  area  and  the  South 
Pacific.  It  is  estimated  that  the  poten- 
tial audience  in  the  United  States  and 
Canada  capable  of  hearing  and  viewing 
some  parts  of  the  Conference  will  exceed 
60  million,  and  many  thousands  more 
in  foreign  countries  will  participate  by 
means  of  short  wave  broadcast.  Thus 
the  sessions  of  this  Conference  will  be 
heard  and  seen  by  the  largest  number 
of  people  in  the  history  of  the  Church. 

We  appreciate  the  services  rendered 
by  Brother  Arch  Madsen,  president  of 
KSL,  in  making  these  broadcasts  possi- 
ble, and  associated  with  him  in  making 
these  arrangements,  Elder  Gordon  B. 
Hinckley  of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve. 
I  am  sure  the  public  generally  unite 
with  us  in  recognizing  the  great  favor 
the  managers  and  owners  of  these  radio 
and  television  stations  are  bestowing 
upon  us.  If  we  had  to  pay  for  that  it 
would  cost — I  am  informed  confidential- 
ly— over  $85,000.  That  is  a  great  service 
they  are  rendering  you  people  of  the 
Church.  We  sincerely  thank  them  for 
their  capable,  comprehensive  coopera- 
tion in  broadcasting  the  proceedings  of 
this  Conference. 

The  General  Priesthood  meeting  Sat- 
urday evening  originating  in  the  Salt 
Lake  Tabernacle  will  be  carried  by 
closed  circuit  to  more  than  320  gather- 
ings of  Priesthood  in  all  parts  of  the 
Nation,  and  in  Canada. 

This  morning,  leaders  and  members 
of  the  Church  have  assembled  in  this 
great  Tabernacle  from  far  and  near; 
from  the  Islands  of  the  Sea,  from  the 
newly  organized  stakes  in  Europe,  Aus- 
tralia, New  Zealand,  and  Alaska,  and 
from  other  parts  of  the  Church  of  the 
North  American  continent.  To  you  all, 
to  those  gathered  here  in  the  Tabernacle, 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Friday,  April  6 

to  the  overflowing  gatherings  in  the 
Assembly  Hall,  in  Barratt  Hall,  and  to 
the  vast  radio  and  television  audience, 
in  behalf  of  the  First  Presidency,  the 
Council  of  the  Twelve,  and  other  Gen- 
eral Authorities  of  the  Church,  I  extend 
a  cordial  and  hearty  welcome. 

For  the  convenience  of  those  who  are 
unable  to  enter  the  Tabernacle — we  can 
see  you  crowded  around  the  doorways — 
we  announce  that  these  services  and  all 
general  sessions  of  the  Conference  will 
be  broadcast  in  the  Assembly  Hall  and 
Barratt  Hall  by  television.  Any  im- 
portant messages  that  come  to  us  for 
persons  attending  the  sessions  will  be 
announced  at  the  dismissal  of  the  meet- 
ings over  the  public  address  system  on 
the  grounds. 

These  dozens  of  exceptionally  beauti- 
ful daffodils  arranged  on  the  rostrum 
have  come  to  us  by  airplane  from  the 
Tacoma  Stake  through  the  graciousness 
of  the  Puyallup  Valley  Daffodil  Festival 
of  Tacoma,  Washington.  The  calla 
lilies  also  have  come  by  air  from  the 
high  priests'  quorum  of  the  Oakland- 
Berkeley  Stake.  Thank  you,  members 
and  friends,  for  these  beautiful  flowers 
which  are  now  filling  the  Tabernacle 
with  sunshine  and  fragrance.  We  ap- 
preciate the  love  and  affection  which 
these  flowers  connote.  We  are  not  un- 
mindful of  the  many  hours  spent  by  the 
members  of  the  Church  in  these  two 
stakes  in  picking  and  arranging  these 
flowers  for  shipment  by  air. 

We  are  pleased  to  announce  that  the 
Brigham  Young  University  Combined 
Choruses,  Brass  Choir  and  Organ,  with 
Kurt  Weinzinger  as  the  conductor,  will 
furnish  the  music  for  the  sessions  today. 
Elder  Alexander  Schreiner  will  be  at 
the  organ.  We  extend  a  hearty  wel- 
come to  these  young  people,  and  ex- 
press our  sincere  gratitude  for  their 
presence  here  today. 

I  think  you  will  be  pleased  also  to 
hear  some  telegrams  which  we  have 
received.  From  the  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce here  in  Salt  Lake  City:  "On 
behalf  of  our  Board  of  Governors  and 
the  membership  of  the  Salt  Lake  City 
Chamber  of  Commerce  we  extend 
a  welcome  to  all  of  the  many  visitors. 
May  this  LDS  Semi-Annual  Conference 
be  most  successful."  Signed  by  Ned 
Winder,  President. 


First  Day 

Here  are  some  others:  From  President 
Grant  S.  Thorn  of  the  North  British 
Mission:  "The  missionaries  and  Saints 
send  their  love  and  best  wishes  for 
memorable  conference.  We  are  truly 
being  blessed  in  this  choice  land." 

From  President  Bernard  P.  Brockbank 
in  Scotland  and  Ireland:  "Greetings 
and  blessings  from  Scotland  and  Ire- 
land. The  missionaries  and  Saints 
pray  for,  support  and  sustain  you  as  our 
earthly  leader  and  prophet.  We  wish 
you  and  all  the  General  Authorities 
every  blessing  as  you  direct  the  132nd 
Annual  General  Conference." 

From  A.  Delbert  Palmer,  president  of 
the  Chilean  Mission:  "The  members, 
missionaries  and  friends  of  the  Chilean 
Mission  join  with  us  in  wishing  you 
and  the  Saints  a  very  successful  Annual 
Conference.  We  are  pleased  to  report 
that  the  new  Chilean  Mission  is 
progressing  rapidly  and  the  Spirit  of 
the  Lord  is  being  poured  out  upon  this 
land  in  great  abundance.  We  do 
appreciate  all  of  the  wonderful  help 
and  inspiration  you  have  given  this 
mission." 

From  President  and  Sister  Fred  W. 
Schwendiman  of  the  New  Zealand 
South  Mission:  "Greetings  and  love  to 
the  Church  Authorities,  members  and 
our  representatives  assembled  in  the 
Annual  General  Conference  of  the 
Church.  From  missionaries  and  mem- 
bers of  the  New  Zealand  South  Mission." 

We  are  especially  happy  to  welcome 
and  to  express  appreciation  for  the 
presence  of  our  stake  presidencies,  temple 
presidencies,  bishoprics,  high  council- 
men,  general  auxiliary  officers,  and 
other  general  officers  of  the  Church, 
many  of  whom  have  traveled  long  dis- 
tances to  be  in  attendance  at  this  Con- 
ference. We  should  like  to  recognize 
some  of  our  visitors,  not  officials  in  the 
Church,  but  who  show  their  interest 
and  willingness  to  cooperate  with  us 
whenever  possible:  Senator  Wallace  F. 
Bennett,  United  States  Senator;  Gov- 
ernor George  Dewey  Clyde,  Governor 
of  the  State;  Lamont  Toronto,  Secretary 
of  State;  David  S.  King,  United  States 
Congressman;  Ernest  L.  Wilkinson, 
President  of  Brigham  Young  University; 
A.  Ray  Olpin,  President  of  the  Univer- 
sity of  Utah;  Daryl  Chase,  President  of 
the  Utah  State  University;  William  P. 


PRESIDENT  DAVID  O.  McKAY 


Miller,  President  of  Weber  College; 
Royden  C.  Braithwaite,  President  of  the 
College  of  Southern  Utah;  Howard 
McDonald,  President  of  the  Los  Angeles 
State  College;  Wendell  H.  Wiser, 
President  of  the  Church  College  in  New 
Zealand;  John  L.  Clarke,  President  of 
Ricks  College;  A  Sherman  Christenson, 
Associate  Judge  of  the  Federal  Court;  M. 
Lynn  Bennion,  Superintendent  of  Salt 
Lake  City  Public  Schools;  M.  Blaine 
Peterson,  United  States  Congressman; 
Honorable  Jesse  A.  Udall,  Associate 
Justice  of  the  Arizona  Supreme  Court. 

These  have  been  noticed,  and  there 
are  probably  others  who  should  be  men- 
tioned, who  have  our  hearty  welcome. 
We  appreciate  their  companionship 
and  trust  they  will  enjoy  the  meeting 
this  morning. 

The  singing,  as  already  announced, 
will  be  furnished  by  the  Brigham  Young 
University  Combined  Choruses,  with 
Kurt  Weinzinger  conducting,  and  Alex- 
ander Schreiner  at  the  organ.    We  shall 


begin  this  session  by  the  Brigham  Young 
University  Combined  Choruses  singing 
"Cherubim  Song."  The  invocation  will 
be  offered  by  Elder  Ernest  A.  Strong, 
Jr.,  president  of  the  Kolob  Stake. 

The  Brigham  Young  University  Com- 
bined Choruses  sang,  "Cherubim  Song." 

Ernest  A.  Strong,  Jr.,  president  of  the 
Kolob  Stake,  offered  the  invocation. 

President  David  O.  McKay: 

The  invocation  just  offered  was  by 
Elder  Ernest  A.  Strong,  Jr.,  president 
of  the  Kolob  Stake.  The  Brigham  Young 
University  Choir  will  now  sing  "Christ, 
The  Lord  is  Risen  Today,"  conducted  by 
Kurt  Weinzinger. 

Singing  by  the  Brigham  Young  Uni- 
versity Combined  Choruses,  "Christ,  The 
Lord,  Is  Risen  Today." 


PRESIDENT  DAVID  O.  McKAY 


One  hundred  and  thirty-two  years  ago 
today  a  group  of  men  and  women,  in 
obedience  to  a  commandment  of  God, 
were  assembled  in  the  house  of  Mr. 
Peter  Whitmer,  Sen.,  for  the  purpose 
of  organizing  the  Church. 

It  was  just  a  group  of  friendly  neigh- 
bors, unknown  to  anyone  beyond  the 
countryside  in  which  they  followed  their 
daily  vocations.  A  good  picture  of  the 
moral  and  economic  atmosphere  of  the 
neighborhood  may  be  surmised  from  the 
following  introduction  of  one  of  the 
citizens:  Joseph  Knight,  Sen.  "  'owned  a 
farm,  a  grist  mill  and  carding  machine. 
He  was  not  rich,  yet  he  possessed  enough 
of  this  world's  goods  to  secure  to  himself 
and  family,  not  only  the  necessaries, 
but  also  the  comforts  of  life.  .  .  .'  He 
'was  ...  a  sober,  honest  man,  generally 
respected  and  beloved  by  his  neighbors 
and  acquaintances.  He  did  not  belong 
to  any  religious  sect,  but  was  a  believer 
in  the  Universalian  doctrine.'  The  busi- 
ness in  which  Joseph  Knight,  Sen.,  en- 
gaged, made  it  necessary  at  times  for 
him  to  hire  men,  and  the  Prophet 
Joseph  was  occasionally  employed  by 
him.    To  the  Knight  family,  .  .  .  the 


young  Prophet  related  many  of  the 
things  God  had  revealed  respecting  the 
Book  of  Mormon,  then  as  yet,  to  come 
forth."  (DHC  1:47.) 

Of  such  ordinary,  rural  men  and 
women  was  the  group  composed  who 
assembled  in  Peter  Whitmer's  house  in 
Fayette,  Seneca  County,  New  York,  a 
century  and  thirty-two  years  ago  today. 

Means  of  communication  were  primi- 
tive— seven  years  before  the  telegraph 
would  be  known.  The  only  light  in  the 
house  after  dark  would  be  furnished  by 
candle,  perhaps  by  kerosene  lamp.  The 
electric  light  globe  would  not  be  known 
for  forty  years.  Sixty  years — almost  a 
lifetime — before  the  automobile  would 
be  used!  And  the  airplane  existed  only 
in  the  realm  of  imagination.  Yet  one 
year  before  the  organization  of  the 
Church,  under  the  inspiration  of  the 
Lord,  Joseph  Smith  had  written: 

"...  a  marvelous  work  is  about  to 
come  forth  among  the  children  of  men." 
(D&C  4:1.) 

There  is  no  evidence  that  such  a 
statement  had  ever  before  been  made 
by  an  obscure  lad,  and  if  it  had,  it 
would  have  passed  into  obscurity  with 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Friday,  April  6 

the  boastful  pretensions  or  imaginations 
of  its  author.  Just  as  the  anticipated, 
foolish  aspirations  of  "Darius  Green  and 
his  flying  machine," — I  am  not  sure 
whether  I  am  right  on  that,  but  that  is 
as  I  remember  it  as  a  boy — who  spoke 
disdainfully  of  the  man  who  had  made 
"wings  of  wax"  that  would  not  stand 
"sunshine  and  hard  whacks,"  and  who 
boastfully  said:  "I  shall  make  mine  of 
leather,  or  something  or  other." 

I  mention  that  merely  to  emphasize 
the  fact  that  a  Church  to  become  a 
"marvelous  work  and  a  wonder"  must 
contain  those  elements  of  truth  which 
find  lodgment  in  the  human  mind, 
which  in  honesty  recognizes  and  loves 
truth  wherever  or  whenever  it  is  found. 

It  is  true  that  over  a  century  ago, 
when  men  heard  that  a  young  man 
claimed  that  God  had  revealed  himself, 
they  mocked  him,  and  in  doubt  turned 
away  from  him  just  as  in  the  beginning 
of  the  Christian  Era  wise  and  able  men 
in  Athens  turned  away  from  a  lonely 
little  brown-eyed  man  who  challenged 
much  of  their  philosophy  as  false  and 
their  worship  of  images  as  gross  error, 
yet  the  fact  remained  that  he  was  the 
only  man  in  that  great  city  of  intel- 
lectuals who  knew  by  actual  experience 
that  a  man  may  pass  through  the  portals 
of  death  and  live — the  only  man  in 
Athens  who  could  clearly  sense  the 
difference  between  the  formality  of 
idolatry  and  the  heartfelt  worship  of  the 
only  true  and  living  God.  By  the 
Epicureans  and  Stoics  with  whom  he 
had  conversed  and  argued,  Paul  had 
been  called  a  "babbler,"  a  "setter- 
forth  of  strange  gods;" 

"And  they  took  him,  and  brought 
him  unto  Areopagus,  saying,  May  we 
know  what  this  new  doctrine,  whereof 
thou  speakest  is? 

"For  thou  bringest  certain  strange 
things  to  our  ears:  we  would  know  there- 
fore what  these  things  mean."  (Acts 
17:19-20.) 

"Then  Paul  stood  in  the  midst  of 
Mars'  Hill,  and  said,  Ye  men  of  Athens, 
I  perceive  that  in  all  things  ye  are  too 
superstitious. 

"For  as  I  passed  by,  and  beheld  your 
devotions,  I  found  an  altar  with  this  in- 
scription, TO  THE  UNKNOWN  GOD, 
Whom  therefore  ye  ignorantly  worship, 


First  Day 

him     declare     I     unto    you."     (Ibid., 
17:22-23.) 

Today,  as  then,  too  many  men  and 
women  have  other  gods  to  which  they 
give  more  thought  than  to  the  resur- 
rected Lord — the  god  of  pleasure,  the 
god  of  wealth,  the  god  of  indulgence, 
the  god  of  political  power,  the  god  of 
popularity,  the  god  of  race  superiority — 
as  varied  and  numerous  as  were  the 
gods  in  ancient  Athens  and  Rome. 

Thoughts  that  most  frequently  occupy 
the  mind  determine  a  man's  course  of 
action.  It  is  therefore  a  blessing  to  the 
world  that  there  are  occasions  such  as 
this,  which,  as  warning  semaphores,  say 
to  mankind:  In  your  mad  rush  for 
pleasure,  wealth,  and  fame,  pause  and 
think  what  is  of  most  value  in  life. 

What  fundamental  truths,  what  eter- 
nal principles,  if  any,  were  associated 
with  that  little  group  which  assembled 
one  hundred  and  thirty-two  years  ago? 

The  first  was  Man's  Relationship  to 
Deity.  For  the  first  time  in  eighteen 
hundred  years,  God  had  revealed  him- 
self as  a  Personal  Being.  The  relation- 
ship of  Father  and  Son  had  been  estab- 
lished by  the  divine  introduction:  "This 
is  My  Beloved  Son.  Hear  Him!"  (Joseph 
Smith  2:17.) 

Those  who  were  baptized  into  the 
Church  that  day  in  April  1830  believed 
in  the  existence  of  a  Personal  God; 
that  his  reality  and  that  of  his  Son 
Jesus  Christ  constitute  the  eternal  foun- 
dation upon  which  this  Church  is  built. 

Commenting  upon  this  eternally  ex- 
istent, creative  power  of  God,  Dr. 
Charles  A.  Dinsmore  of  Yale  University, 
in  Christianity  and  Modern  Thought, 
aptly  says: 

"Religion,  standing  on  the  known  ex- 
perience of  the  race,  makes  one  bold  and 
glorious  affirmation.  She  asserts  that 
this  power  that  makes  for  truth,  for 
beauty,  and  for  goodness  is  not  less  per- 
sonal than  we.  This  leap  of  faith  is 
justified  because  God  cannot  be  less  than 
the  greatest  of  his  works,  the  Cause  must 
be  adequate  to  the  effect.  When,  there- 
fore, we  call  God  personal,  we  have 
interpreted  him  by  the  loftiest  symbol  we 
have.  He  may  be  infinitely  more.  He 
cannot  be  less.  When  we  call  God  a 
Spirit,  we  use  the  clearest  lens  we  have 
to  look  at  the  Everlasting.    As  Herbert 


PRESIDENT  DAVID  O.  McKAY 


Spencer  has  well  said:  'The  choice  is  not 
between  a  personal  God  and  something 
lower,  but  between  a  personal  God  and 
something  higher.' " 

"My  Lord  and  my  God"  was  not  mere- 
ly a  spontaneous,  meaningless  exclama- 
tion of  Thomas  when  he  beheld  his 
Risen  Lord.  The  Being  before  him  was 
his  God.  Once  we  accept  Christ  as 
divine,  it  is  easy  to  visualize  his  Father 
as  being  just  as  personal  as  he;  for  Christ 
said,  ".  .  .  he  that  hath  seen  me  hath 
seen  the  Father "  (John  14:9.) 

How  boastful,  how  unfounded,  is  the 
brazen  declaration  of  communism  that 
"there  is  no  God,"  and  that  "Religion 
(the  church)    is  but  an  opiate!" 

Faith  in  the  existence  of  an  Intelligent 
Creator  was  the  first  element  that  con- 
tributed to  the  perpetuity  of  the  Church, 
the  everlasting  foundation  upon  which 
the  Church  is  built. 

The  second  cornerstone  is  the  Divine 
Sonship  of  Jesus  Christ.  The  gospel 
teaches  that  Christ  is  the  Son  of  God, 
the  Redeemer  of  the  world.  No  true 
follower  is  satisfied  to  accept  him  merely 
as  a  great  teacher,  a  great  reformer,  or 
even  as  the  One  Perfect  Man.  The 
Man  of  Galilee  is  not  figuratively,  but 
literally  the  Son  of  the  Living  God. 

A  third  principle  which  contributes  to 
the  stability  of  the  Church  and  which 
impressed  not  only  that  little  group, 
but  millions  since,  that  a  great  and 
marvelous  work  was  about  to  come  forth, 
is  the  immortality  of  the  human  soul. 

Jesus  passed  through  all  the  experi- 
ences of  mortality  just  as  you  and  I. 
He  knew  happiness.  He  experienced 
pain.  He  rejoiced  as  well  as  sorrowed 
with  others.  He  knew  friendship.  He 
experienced  also  the  sadness  that  comes 
through  traitors  and  false  accusers.  He 
died  a  mortal  death  even  as  every  other 
mortal.  As  his  spirit  lived  after  death, 
so  shall  yours  and  mine. 

A  fourth  element  which  contributed  to 
the  perpetuity  of  that  little  group  was 
the  Cherished  Hope  for  the  Brotherhood 
of  Man.  One  of  the  two  great  general 
principles  to  which  all  others  are  sub- 
sidiary is  this:  ".  .  .  love  thy  neighbour 
as  thyself,"  (Matt.  19:19)  and  corre- 
lated with  it,  the  promise:  "Inasmuch 
as  ye  have  done  it  unto  the   least  of 


these  my  brethren,  ye  have  done  it  unto 
me."  (Ibid.,  25:40.) 

The  gospel  bids  the  strong  bear  the 
burdens  of  the  weak,  and  to  use  the 
advantages  given  them  by  their  larger 
opportunities  in  the  interest  of  the  com- 
mon good  that  the  whole  level  of  hu- 
manity may  be  lifted,  and  the  path  of 
spiritual  attainment  opened  to  the  weak- 
est and  most  unlearned  as  well  as  to 
the  strong  and  intelligent. 

The  Savior  condemned  hypocrisy  and 
praised  sincerity  of  purpose.  He  taught 
that  if  the  heart  be  pure,  actions  will  be 
in  accord  therewith.  Social  sins — lying, 
stealing,  dishonest  dealings,  adultery, 
and  the  like — are  first  committed  in 
thought. 

"Sow  a  thought,  reap  an  act, 
Sow  an  act,  reap  a  habit, 
Sow  a  habit,  reap  a  character, 
Sow  a  character,  reap  an  eternal  destiny." 
— E.  D.  Boardman 

Jesus  taught  that  an  unsullied  char- 
acter is  the  noblest  aim  in  life.  No  man 
can  sincerely  resolve  to  apply  to  his 
daily  life  the  teachings  of  Jesus  of 
Nazareth  without  sensing  a  change  in 
his  own  nature.  The  phrase,  "born 
again,"  has  a  deeper  significance  than 
many  people  attach  to  it.  This  changed 
feeling  may  be  indescribable,  but  it  is 
real.  Happy  the  person  who  has  truly 
sensed  the  uplifting,  transforming  power 
that  comes  from  this  nearness  to  the 
Savior,  this  kinship  to  the  Living  Christ. 

Resistance  is  necessary  along  with  ob- 
taining a  sense  of  the  real  divinity. 
There  should  be  developed  also  the 
power  of  self-mastery.  Someone  has 
said  that  when  God  makes  the  prophet, 
he  does  not  unmake  the  man.  I  believe 
that,  though  being  "born  anew,"  and 
being  entitled  to  new  life,  new  vigor, 
new  blessings,  yet  the  old  weaknesses 
may  still  remain.  The  adversary  stands 
by,  ever  eager  and  ready  to  attack  and 
strike  us  at  our  weakest  point. 

Take,  for  example,  the  incident  of 
Jesus  on  the  Mount  of  Temptation. 
After  he  had  passed  through  the 
ordinance  of  baptism  to  fulfil  all  right- 
eousness, after  he  had  received  the  com- 
mendation of  the  Father  and  the  testi- 
mony from  on  high  that  he  is  the  Be- 
loved Son  in  whom  the  Father  is  well 
pleased,   the  tempter  was   there  ready 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Friday,  April  6 

to  thwart,  if  possible,  his  divine  mission. 
At  his  weakest  moment,  as  Satan 
thought,  when  his  body  was  famished 
by  long  fasting,  the  Evil  One  presented 
himself,  saying,  ".  .  .  If  thou  be  the 
Son  of  God,  command  that  these  stones 
be  made  bread."  (Matt.  4:3.)  Though 
his  body  was  weak,  his  spirit  was  strong, 
as  he  answered:  ".  .  .  It  is  written,  Man 
shall  not  live  by  bread  alone,  but  by 
every  word  that  proceedeth  out  of  the 
mouth  of  God."  (Ibid.,  4:4.) 

With  unwavering  strength,  Jesus  with- 
stood the  tempter's  taunts  and  promises 
that  followed,  and  triumphantly  de- 
manded, ".  .  .  Get  thee  hence,  Satan: 
for  it  is  written,  Thou  shalt  worship  the 
Lord  thy  God,  and  him  only  shalt  thou 
serve."  (Ibid.,  4:10.) 

So  it  is  with  each  of  us  in  our  daily 
resisting  of  the  tempter.  He  will  make 
his  appeal  to  what  may  be  our  weakest 
point  of  resistance.  His  strongest  strain 
will  be  on  the  weakest  link  in  the  chain 
that  binds  our  character.  It  may  come 
in  the  form  of  yielding  to  habit, 
tendency,  or  passion  which  we  have 
indulged  for  years.  It  may  be  a  desire 
for  the  old  pipe  or  the  cigaret  which 
we  determined,  if  we  were  sincere,  to 
put  aside  when  we  entered  the  waters 
of  baptism.  And  when  that  longing 
comes,  after  we  are  in  the  Church  or 
kingdom,  in  that  moment  when  tempta- 
tion comes,  we  may  say  to  ourselves, 
"Though  I  intend  to  throw  it  aside,  I 
will  take  it  only  once  more — this  once 
will  not  count."  That  is  the  moment 
of  resistance  when  we  should  say,  as 
Christ,  "Get  thee  behind  me." 

This  power  of  self-control  in  regard 
to  our  bodily  longings,  satisfying  the 
passions,  applies  to  every  member  of 
the  Church  of  Christ.  In  some  way,  the 
Evil  One  will  attack  us;  some  way  he 
can  weaken  us.  In  some  way,  he  will 
bring  before  us  that  which  will  weaken 
our  souls  and  will  tend  to  thwart  the 
true  development  of  the  spirit  within, 
the  strengthening  and  growth  of  the 
spirit,  which  time  cannot  kill,  which 
is  as  enduring  as  the  Eternal  Father 
of  the  spirit.  And  the  things  which  will 
tend  to  dwarf  this  spirit  or  to  hinder  its 
growth  are  things  which  members  of 
the  Church  are  called  upon  to  resist. 

One  hundred  and  thirty-two  years  ago 


First  Day 

the  Church  was  officially  organized  with 
six  members.  It  was  unknown,  and,  I 
repeat,  would  be  known  only  to  the 
extent  that  it  contained  and  radiated 
those  eternal  principles  which  harmo- 
nize with  the  eternity  of  its  Author,  and 
only  thus  could  it  become  a  great  and 
marvelous  work. 

Today  there  are  branches  of  the 
Church  in  many  parts  of  the  world. 
As  the  effulgent  light  of  a  glorious  sun 
gladdens  the  surface  of  the  earth  by 
day,  so  the  Light  of  Truth  is  entering 
into  the  hearts  of  many  honest  men  and 
women  throughout  the  world. 

The  marvelous  progress  that  has  been 
made  in  transportation  and  communi- 
cation makes  it  possible  for  the  promul- 
gation of  the  truths  of  the  restored  gospel 
to  be  made  known  to  the  children  of 
men  everywhere  on  the  face  of  the 
globe.  It  is  possible  for  millions  in 
America,  Europe,  Asia,  Africa,  and  the 
islands  of  the  sea  not  only  to  hear,  but 
in  many  instances  to  see  what  you  are 
doing  as  members  for  the  gospel  of 
truth. 

To  all  members,  and  to  our  Father's 
children  everywhere,  we  declare  in  all 
sincerity  that  God  lives!  As  sure  as  the 
light  of  the  sun  shines  upon  everything 
on  the  physical  earth,  so  the  radiance 
that  emanates  from  the  Creator  bright- 
ens every  soul  that  comes  into  the  world 
of  humanity,  for  it  is  in  him  that  we 
"live  and  move  and  have  our  being." 
All  of  us,  therefore,  should  make  him  the 
center  of  our  lives. 

Jesus  Christ  his  Beloved  Son  also  lives 
and  stands  at  the  head  of  the  kingdom 
of  God  on  earth.  Through  him  the 
eternal  plan  of  the  gospel  has  been 
given  to  man  and  restored  in  its  fulness 
to  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith.  Through 
obedience  to  the  principles  of  the  gospel, 
we  may  become  partakers  of  his  divine 
Spirit,  as  Peter  of  old,  after  two  and  a 
half  years  of  association  with  the  Re- 
deemer, testified.  (See  2  Peter  1:4.) 

In  the  words  of  President  John  Taylor: 

"Go,  ye  messengers  of  glory; 
Run,  ye  legates  of  the  skies; 
Go   and  tell  the  pleasing  story 
That  a  glorious  angel  flies; 

"Go,  to  all  the  gospel  carry; 


ELDER  ALVIN  R.  DYER 


Let  the   joyful   news   abound; 
Go  till  every  nation  hear  you, 
Jew  and  Gentile  greet  the  sound. 
Let  the  gospel  echo  all  the  earth  around." 

I  pray  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ. 
Amen. 


President  David  O.  McKay: 

Elder  Alvin  R.  Dyer,  Assistant  to  the 
Twelve,  former  president  of  the  Euro- 
pean Mission,  will  now  speak  to  us.  He 
will  be  followed  by  Elder  Sterling  W. 
Sill,  Assistant  to  the  Twelve. 


ELDER  ALVIN  R.  DYER 

Assistant  to  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 


My  dear  brothers  and  sisters,  it  has 
been  our  great  privilege  this  morning 
to  hear  the  opening  message  of  our  be- 
loved President.  I  feel  grateful  for  his 
words  of  counsel  and  enlightenment, 
which  have  already,  through  his  re- 
marks today  and  in  meetings  previous 
to  the  conference,  set  the  spirit  of  the 
conference. 

I  feel  that  I  should  be  ungrateful  this 
morning  if  I  did  not  testify  to  you,  my 
brethren  and  sisters,  and  to  my  fellow 
associates,  as  one  with  you  who  has 
come  to  know  that  President  McKay  is 
truly  a  prophet  of  God,  and  who  in  the 
inspiration  and  revelation  of  his  calling 
is  effectively  leading  the  Church  in  its 
present  great  period  of  expansion.  I 
have  witnessed  his  prophecies  come  true 
and  have  participated  in  the  unerring 
wisdom  of  his  counsel.  Truly  he  is  a 
great  missionary  Apostle  and  President. 
His  travels  throughout  the  world  in 
behalf  of  God's  work  have  exceeded  even 
the  travels  of  the  early-day  apostles. 

President  McKay  is  loved  by  each  of 
the  General  Authorities  who  stand 
unitedly  by  his  side  and  who  are  willing 
to  give  their  all  in  following  his  in- 
spired leadership.  His  guileless  love 
for  the  Saints  finds  a  spring  of  affection 
in  the  hearts  of  us  all.  His  vision  is 
the  inspiration,  I  am  confident,  behind 
the  acceleration  of  our  proselyting  effort 
all  over  the  world  with  which  I  have 
been  directly  connected  and  to  which 
I  can  testify.  Not  only  this,  but  under 
his  direction  other  facets  of  Church 
growth  are  going  forward  to  match  these 
increased  conversions:  the  expanded 
building  program  to  provide  the  facili- 
ties of  worship  and  cultural  growth 
among  the  members;  the  increased  ac- 
tivity in  the  priesthood,  in  the  church 
education  system  whereby  through  uni- 


versities, colleges,  institutes,  and  in  the 
auxiliaries,  the  youth  of  the  Church, 
who,  while  safeguarding  their  lives,  are 
being  prepared  for  leadership  in  the 
Church — the  integral  expansion  of 
which  is  demanding  that  at  least  15,000 
new  stake  and  ward  leaders  be  called 
each  year  to  match  the  growth  of  the 
Church. 

The  erection  of  temples,  particularly 
in  foreign  lands,  has  proved  to  be  a  great 
stimulus  to  the  faith  of  the  members  in 
these  areas,  and  has  caused  thousands 
to  remain  in  their  native  lands  to  help 
build  the  Church  stronger,  rather  than 
to  come  to  America  and  the  West.  The 
effectiveness  of  the  Church  welfare  pro- 
gram continues. 

Many  other  phases  of  the  Church 
program  could  be  mentioned  which  are 
going  forward  under  the  inspired  leader- 
ship of  our  beloved  President. 

I  am  deeply  grateful,  my  brethren 
and  sisters,  for  the  great  honor  and 
privilege  that  came  to  Sister  Dyer  and 
me  and  our  son  for  a  part  of  his  mission 
which  he  also  spent  in  Europe;  for  the 
privilege  of  serving  in  these  ancient 
lands  and  of  having  the  privilege  of  wit- 
nessing the  power  of  God  go  forward 
in  the  expansion  of  his  work.  I  have 
seen  almost  daily  the  witness  of  the 
power  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  in 
the  lives  of  people  and  have  seen  many 
men  and  women  in  almost  every  land 
receive  of  the  teachings  of  the  gospel 
from  the  missionaries  and  then  have 
watched  their  lives  change  and  have 
witnessed  their  preparation  to  become 
leaders  in  the  Church. 

I  am  most  grateful  this  morning  that 
here  in  the  congregation  are  men  who 
have  been  called  to  preside  over  stakes 
in  Europe.  I  have  been  directly  con- 
nected with  these  men.    I  know  of  their 


10 

Friday,  April  S 

faith  and  their  love  of  the  gospel  and 
of  their  desire  to  see  the  work  of  the 
Lord  go  forward. 

The  most  frequent  question  that  is 
asked  of  me  since  my  return  from  Eu- 
rope is  this:  "What  is  causing  this 
tremendous  growth  in  the  Church? 
What  is  it  that  is  causing  people  to 
accept  the  gospel  more  readily  than 
ever  before?"  In  analyzing  this,  I  have 
come  to  the  conclusion  that  there  are 
three  areas  of  activity  which  combine 
to  produce  the  rise  in  converts  in 
virtually  all  of  the  missions  of  the  world. 
The  fact  that  these  very  things  are 
transpiring  calls  to  mind  the  parable 
of  the  fig  tree  with  its  symbolical  indi- 
cation which  the  Master  gave  as  an 
evidence  of  the  approaches  to  the  cul- 
mination of  his  work  here  upon  the 
earth. 

The  first  reason,  I  surmised,  is  simply 
that  the  harvest  time  is  here.  When  the 
Prophet  Joseph  Smith  was  being  in- 
structed in  the  work  which  he  had  been 
called  to  do  by  holy  messengers  sent 
from  the  presence  of  God,  it  was  made 
known  to  him  by  revelation,  as  our  be- 
loved prophet  has  mentioned  this 
morning,  that  a  great  and  marvelous 
work  was  about  to  come  forth  among 
the  children  of  men,  but  the  Lord  also 
said  that  the  field  was  white  already  to 
harvest.  As  to  the  meaning  of  the  field 
being  white  already  to  harvest,  we  are 
enlightened  by  the  words  of  the  Apostle 
Paul,  who  by  prophetic  utterance  told 
the  Saints  at  Ephesus  of  that  which 
would  transpire  in  the  very  day  in  which 
we  now  live.    This  is  his  declaration: 

"That  in  the  dispensation  of  the  ful- 
ness of  times  he  might  gather  together 
in  one  all  things  in  Christ,  both  which 
are  in  heaven,  and  which  are  on  earth; 
even  in  him:  .  .  . 

"According  as  he  hath  chosen  us  in 
him  before  the  foundation  of  the  world, 
that  we  should  be  holy  and  without 
blame  before  him  in  love: 

"Having  predestinated  us  into  the 
adoption  of  children  by  Jesus  Christ  to 
himself,  according  to  the  good  pleasure 
of  his  will,  .  .  ."  (Eph.  1:10,  4-5.) 

Thus,  from  the  statement  of  the  Lord 
given  to  Hyrum  Smith,  through  the 
Prophet  Joseph  Smith,  and  from  this 
statement  of  Paul,  we  conclude  that 
many  of  the  noble  and  valiant  spirits 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


First  Day 

of  the  pre-existence  have  been  withheld 
as  to  birth  into  mortality  until  this  par- 
ticular time  that  they  may  be  here  upon 
the  earth,  either  born  under  the  cove- 
nant or  converted  to  the  gospel  of 
Jesus  Christ,  that  there  will  be  strength 
within  the  Church  to  fulfil  the  divine 
commitments  which  the  Lord  has  placed 
upon  us  as  a  people.  These  choice 
spirits  so  withheld,  as  could  be  ex- 
pected, respond  more  readily  to  the 
gospel  message  here  in  life  when  they 
hear  it. 

The  Lord  speaks  of  this  very  thing, 
as  referred  to  by  the  Apostle  John,  con- 
cerning the  mission  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
whom  the  Master  sent  after  his  earth 
life  departure,  which  was  to  bring  re- 
membrance to  those  who,  by  the  spirit 
of  conviction,  would  recognize  the  mes- 
sage of  truth  when  they  heard  it.  These 
are  his  words: 

"But  the  Comforter,  which  is  the  Holy 
Ghost,  whom  the  Father  will  send  in 
my  name,  he  shall  teach  you  all  things, 
and  bring  all  things  to  your  remem- 
brance, whatsoever  I  have  said  unto 
you."  (John  14:26.) 

For  the  purpose  of  awakening  inter- 
est in  the  hearts  of  people,  we  have 
learned  that  nearly  all  converts  to  the 
Church  today  sense  that  the  gospel  mes- 
sage is  true  the  first  time  they  heard  it 
proclaimed  by  the  missionaries. 

I  recall  a  noted  architect  in  Munich, 
mature  in  years,  highly  successful  in  his 
field  of  work,  a  respected  man  in  his 
city  and  church,  who  recognized,  by  the 
power  of  the  Spirit,  that  Joseph  Smith 
was  a  prophet  of  God  the  first  time  that 
the  missionaries  testified  of  it.  He  came 
to  know  this  and  of  the  truth  of  the 
message  of  the  restoration  from  this 
initial  awakening  of  interest,  or  the 
"bringing  of  things  to  his  remembrance" 
and  was  led  to  baptism  and  is  now  with 
his  wife  an  active  member  of  the 
Church. 

A  noted  attorney  in  Stuttgart  sensed 
in  his  heart  upon  first  contact  by 
the  missionaries  that  the  gospel  is 
true,  though  his  baptism  was  delayed 
for  several  weeks  while  the  missionaries 
taught  him  the  lessons,  which  he  con- 
fessed to  me  later  that  he  could  not 
fully  understand  at  the  time.  This  at- 
torney knew  that  the  elders  were  servants 
of  God   and   that  they  had  told   him 


ELDER  ALVIN  R.  DYER 


11 


the  truth.    He  is  now  a  member  of  a 
bishopric  in  the  Stuttgart  Stake. 

A  mature  woman  and  her  daughter, 
whose  husband  and  father  was  dead, 
replied  to  a  Danish  missionary,  when 
asked  if  they  had  understood  all  of 
their  teachings  concerning  the  Godhead 
and  the  Holy  Ghost,  that  they  did  not, 
but  the  woman  said  she  knew  they 
were  true  servants  of  God,  and  she  ac- 
cepted what  they  had  told  them  to  be 
true,  and  after  repentance  they  were 
baptized  members  of  the  Church. 

The  second  reason,  I  believe,  for  the 
increased  number  of  conversions  is  that 
the  Church  and  its  objectives  stand  to- 
day in  a  much  better  image  before  the 
world  than  ever  before.  There  are 
many  reasons  for  this  that  have  gone 
on  through  the  years,  and  it  would 
appear  that  the  relentless  general  good 
behavior  and  upstanding  characteristics 
of  the  members  of  the  Church  is  be- 
ginning to  have  its  effect  upon  good 
men  and  women,  civic  and  educational 
leaders,  and  other  inspired  men  all  over 
the  world. 

I  think  the  relentless  effectiveness  of 
the  Tabernacle  Choir  Broadcast,  coupled 
with  the  goodwill  tours  that  have  been 
made,  has  been  a  great  contribution  in 
breaking  the  crust  of  false  concept  and 
has  established  us  in  better  image  be- 
fore the  people  of  the  world,  along  with 
the  many  services  which  are  rendered 
by  the  Church  Information  Service  and 
the  many  bureaus  of  information  at 
temples,  historic  sites,  and  mainly  the 
Temple  Square  Bureau,  where  people 
have  come  to  know  the  truth  about  us. 

The  outstanding  representation  we  are 
now  receiving  from  favorable  newspaper 
and  magazine  publicity  has  helped.  In 
some  instances,  through  advertising 
agencies,  but  usually  the  efforts  of  mis- 
sion presidents  and  missionaries,  who  in 
the  course  of  their  regular  proselyting 
procedures  and  as  a  part  of  their  pro- 
gram, contact  the  various  civic  and 
educational  leaders  and  keep  in  close 
touch  with  the  newspapers,  make  it  a 
definite  point  to  get  acquainted  with 
editors  and  reporters.  In  Europe  this 
has  been  especially  effective,  where 
more  than  8,000  newspaper  articles 
favorable  to  the  Church  have  been  ob- 
tained, many  of  which  show  pictures  of 
the  missionaries,  most  usually  in   the 


process  of  calling  upon  people,  holding 
cottage  meetings,  cycling  on  the  cycle 
paths  to  and  from  their  trading  districts 
and  in  pursuing  other  typical  missionary 
routines. 

Press  conferences  have  proved  to  be 
most  helpful  in  getting  our  story  be- 
fore the  public,  and  we  have  witnessed 
a  change  come  over  the  civic  and  edu- 
cational leaders  in  Europe  whereby 
today  we  have  recognition,  and  we  are 
finding  that  information  about  the 
Church  is  being  sought  for  and  not 
necessarily  only  as  we  offer  it.  It  is 
not  unusual  for  the  mayor  and  the  min- 
isters of  education,  presidents  of  uni- 
versities, presidents  of  various  states,  and 
other  influential  people  to  be  present 
with  their  wives  at  press  receptions.  We 
have  been  able  to  get  many  of  our 
generals  and  leaders  of  our  Armed 
Forces  in  Europe  to  attend  these  press 
receptions  and  into  this  atmosphere  we 
have  brought  newspaper  and  magazine 
reporters  and  editors,  and  they  have 
been  amazed  to  see  the  influential  peo- 
ple who  have  been  in  attendance. 

Very  often  these  reporters  have  been 
heard  to  say,  "What  is  the  mayor  doing 
here?"  Or,  "Why  is  the  president  of  the 
university  present?"  The  answer  is,  of 
course,  "They  are  friends  of  the 
Church,"  and  invariably,  because  of  the 
high  calibre  and  sincerity  of  these  af- 
fairs, more  comprehensive  articles  about 
the  Church  have  resulted. 

Opportunities  for  free  radio  and  tele- 
vision time,  where  the  story  of  the 
Church  can  be  told,  is  increasing  with 
each  passing  week.  The  correction  of 
disparaging  articles  about  the  Church, 
and  the  replacement  of  erroneous  sec- 
tions in  encyclopedias,  in  books  of 
knowledge,  is  a  constant  task,  but  many 
important  steps  are  being  taken  in  this 
regard  to  establish  a  better  image  of  the 
Church  and  our  people  through  these 
sources  of  information  in  the  various 
countries  of  the  world. 

We  have  witnessed  a  vast  improve- 
ment in  the  attitude  of  individuals.  If 
time  would  permit,  I  could  tell  of  ex- 
periences with  ministers  of  education, 
with  editors  of  many  of  the  large 
newspapers  in  Europe,  and  with  others 
who  have  actually  defended  the  position 
of  the  Church  and  are  publishing  favor- 
able articles  about  us,  which  assist  the 


12 

Friday,  April  6 

missionaries  with  the  golden  question, 
when  they  ask,  "What  do  you  know 
about  the  Mormon  Church?"  Instead  of 
there  being  a  negative  answer,  there  is 
a  willingness  to  listen,  and  this  is  con- 
tributing to  the  expansion  of  proselyting 
effectiveness  in  the  world. 

Of  course  we  have  a  long  way  to  go 
yet  to  gain  the  full  effect  before  the 
world  of  the  image  of  our  people,  but 
definite  progress  is  being  made. 

The  third  reason  is  the  concept  of 
"Every  Member  a  Missionary,"  as  in- 
spired by  our  beloved  President.  This 
has  led  to  more  effective  ways  of  getting 
the  gospel  message  to  people.  If  every 
member  of  the  Church  will  react  to 
this  inspiration,  fulfilling  the  commit- 
ment that  has  been  placed  upon  us  as 
a  people,  there  is  every  reason  to  believe 
that  the  convert  expansion  of  the 
Church  will  continue. 

In  the  preface  of  the  Doctrine  and 
Covenants  there  is  recorded  what  the 
Lord  made  known  to  the  Prophet  Joseph 
Smith  that  we  are  expected  as  a  people 
to  convey  to  the  masses  of  the  world  for 
the  purpose  ".  .  .  that  every  man  might 
speak  in  the  name  of  God  the  Lord,  even 
the  Savior  of  the  world";  and  this  means 
that  a  man  who  stands  at  the  head  of 
his  household  may  receive  the  priest- 
hood through  his  faithfulness  and  then 
be  able  to  speak  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord  for  and  in  behalf  of  his  family 
and  Church,  and  also  "That  faith  might 
increase  in  the  earth; 

"That  mine  everlasting  covenant 
might  be  established; 

"That  the  fulness  of  my  gospel  might 
be  proclaimed  by  the  weak  and  the 
simple  unto  the  ends  of  the  world,  and 
before  kings  and  rulers."  (D&C  1:20-23.) 

The  inspiration  of  our  prophet  in  the 
projection  of  the  idea  that  every  mem- 
ber be  a  missionary  forms  a  concept, 
which  like  a  banner,  must  be  kept 
high.  There  should  be  no  apathy  within 
the  ranks  of  the  Church  to  this  great 
challenge.  The  enthusiasm  and  spirit 
of  missionary  work  must  be  kept  alive 
and  active  in  the  heart  of  every  mem- 
ber, for  this  is  the  spirit  of  the  Church. 

As  I  see  it,  there  are  three  kinds  of 
missionaries  in  the  Church.  There  is 
the  full-time  missionary,  who  devotes  his 
every  waking  hour  in  leading  souls  into 
the  kingdom   of  our  Heavenly  Father 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


First  Day 

through  the  waters  of  baptism,  and 
then  there  is  the  part-time  missionary, 
who  devotes  all  of  his  time  except  that 
which  is  needed  to  make  a  living  and 
to  care  for  his  family.  Then  there  is  the 
member  missionary,  who  by  example 
and  his  good  life  will  provide  an  image 
of  the  Church  for  his  neighbors  and 
friends  and  relatives  to  observe.  They 
will  assist  the  missionaries  by  opening 
their  homes  to  investigators  and  to  assist 
in  other  ways,  in  conveying  the  gospel 
message  to  those  who  do  not  under- 
stand the  truth. 

I  am  most  grateful,  my  brethren  and 
sisters,  that  the  message  of  the  gospel 
is  to  the  individual,  for  each  person 
can  receive  and  evaluate  the  truth  for 
himself.  I  thrilled  recently  as  I  at- 
tended a  meeting  behind  the  Iron 
Curtain  in  East  Germany  to  hear  one 
of  the  leaders  stand  and  testify  that  no 
one  could  tell  him  how  to  worship  God 
in  his  own  heart. 

Jesus,  in  his  parables,  manifested  his 
way  of  teaching  which  was  always  to 
the  individual  as  evidenced  by  his 
parables  "a  certain  nobleman,"  "Behold 
the  sower,"  "The  rich  young  ruler," 
"The  ninety  and  nine  and  the  search  for 
the  one  that  is  lost,"  "The  prodigal 
son,"  etc. 

What  is  true  of  conversion  is  true  of 
membership  in  the  Church,  for  each  of 
us  must  work  out  our  own  salvation,  and 
as  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  said,  "at 
times  it  may  be  with  fear  and 
trembling,"  but  our  obligation  is  to 
convey  the  message  of  the  gospel  unto 
the  people  of  the  world.  This  means 
our  neighbor,  as  well  as  those  who  are 
afar  off. 

In  conclusion  may  I  read  two  state- 
ments from  the  revelations  of  the  Lord 
concerning  our  obligation  to  teach  the 
gospel.  The  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  said 
that  we  are  not  to  be  ashamed  to  stand 
up  boldly  for  the  cause  of  Christ,  for 
said  he:  ".  .  .  It  should  be  the  duty  of 
the  Elder  to  stand  up  boldly  for  the 
cause  of  Christ,  and  warn  that  people 
with  one  accord  to  repent  and  be  bap- 
tized for  the  remission  of  sins,  and  for 
the  Holy  Ghost,  always  commanding 
them  in  the  name  of  the  Lord,  in  the 
spirit  of  meekness.  .  .  ."  (DHC,  Vol.  2, 
p.  263.) 

In  the  other  revelation  the  Lord  di- 


ELDER  STERLING  W.  SILL 


13 


rects  all  of  the  members  of  the  Church 
to  proclaim  the  gospel:  "...  I  give  unto 
you  a  commandment,  that  every  man, 
both  elder,  priest,  teacher,  and  also 
member,  go  to  with  his  might,  with 
the  labor  of  his  hands,  to  prepare  and 
accomplish  the  things  which  I  have 
commanded. 

"And  let  your  preaching  be  the 
warning  voice,  every  man  to  his  neigh- 
bor, .  .  ."  (D&C  38:40-41.  Italics 
added.) 

I  testify  to  you,  my  brethren  and 
sisters,   in   the   name   of   Jesus  Christ, 


that  this  is  the  Lord's  work,  and  I  pray 
that  we  may  go  forth  in  it  and  fulfil 
the  commitment  of  extending  the  gospel 
in  a  continuing  manner  unto  the  chil- 
dren of  the  world,  and  I  do  it  in  the 
name  of  Jesus  Christ.    Amen. 

President  David  O.  McKay: 

Elder  Alvin  R.  Dyer,  Assistant  to  the 
Twelve  and  former  president  of  the 
European  Mission,  has  just  addressed 
us.  Elder  Sterling  W.  Sill,  Assistant  to 
the  Twelve,  will  be  our  next  speaker. 


ELDER  STERLING  W.  SILL 

Assistant  to  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 


My  brothers  and  sisters,  I  appreciate  very 
much  this  semiannual  privilege  of  hav- 
ing a  part  with  you  in  the  general  con- 
ference of  the  Church.  In  thinking 
about  the  purpose  that  brings  us 
together,  I  recalled  a  recent  full-page 
newspaper  advertisement  which,  with 
the  exception  of  the  name  of  the  spon- 
soring lumber  company  down  in  the 
lower  right-hand  corner,  the  entire  ad 
was  a  blank  but  for  two  small  words 
in  the  middle  of  the  page,  which  said, 
"Build  Well." 

Then  I  thought  of  the  interesting  ap- 
plication made  of  this  important  idea  by 
the  Apostle  Paul  when  he  said  to  the 
Corinthians,  ".  .  .  ye  are  God's  building 
....  [therefore]  let  every  man  take  heed 
how  he  buildeth "  (1  Cor.  3:9-10.) 

The  greatest  responsibility  that  is  ever 
entrusted  to  any  human  being  is  that  of 
building  his  own  personality.  The  first 
soul  that  anyone  should  bring  to  God  is 
his  own  soul.  President  McKay  recently 
pointed  out  that  the  purpose  of  the  gos- 
pel is  to  make  men  better.  The  primary 
objective  in  the  mission  of  Jesus  was  to 
provide  the  world  with  better  men  and 
women.  God  himself  has  said,  ". . .  this 
is  my  work  and  my  glory — to  bring  to 
pass  the  immortality  and  eternal  life  of 
man."  (Moses  1:39.)  It  is  God's  work 
to  build  character,  ability,  and  Godliness 
into  the  lives  of  his  children.  Any  in- 
fluence that  works  against  that  purpose 
is  evil,  and  whenever  we  build  evil  into 
our  lives,  we  are  tending  toward  failure. 

In  a  survey  recently  made  at  Stanford 


University,  it  was  discovered  that  ninety- 
four  percent  of  all  workers  who  were 
fired  from  their  jobs  lost  out  for  some 
reason  not  even  remotely  connected 
with  job  competence.  They  lost  their 
jobs  because  they  were  lacking  in  basic 
fundamental  character.  The  specific 
reasons  given  for  the  termination  of 
their  employment  included  such  things 
as  dishonesty,  disloyalty,  disobedience, 
hate,  immorality,  selfishness,  sloth,  and 
wrong  thinking.  These  are  also  the 
traits  that  cause  our  crime  waves,  our 
delinquency  scourges,  and  our  cold  and 
shooting  wars.  Building  these  traits 
into  our  lives  also  accounts  for  so  many 
people  finding  themselves  at  the  end  of 
that  broad  road  leading  to  eternal 
destruction. 

I  talk  with  a  great  many  people  every 
year  who  are  unable  to  solve  their  prob- 
lems. And  I  am  certain  that  ninety-four 
percent  of  all  of  our  troubles  come  be- 
cause someone  disobeys  God's  command- 
ments. Nations  as  well  as  individuals 
could  live  successfully  and  happily  if 
they  could  just  learn  to  follow  the  tested 
principles  of  righteousness. 

Recently  I  was  in  the  office  of  a  build- 
ing contractor  who  was  erecting  a  multi- 
million  dollar  building.  He  had  spread 
out  before  him  a  set  of  drawings  which 
he  called  a  blueprint.  And  I  was  im- 
pressed with  this  idea  that  any  builder 
can  erect  the  most  magnificent  building 
that  the  greatest  architect  can  conceive, 
if  he  just  knows  how  to  follow  the  blue- 
print.   And  then  I  tried  unsuccessfully 


14 

Friday,  April  6 

to  think  of  any  idea  in  the  world  more 
important.  The  best  sculptor  is  the  one 
who  can  most  accurately  reproduce  in 
marble  the  image  that  he  sees  before 
him.  The  good  cook  follows  the  recipe. 
The  pharmacist  can  utilize  the  many 
years  of  training  of  the  most  famous 
doctors  from  the  best  medical  schools, 
if  he  just  knows  how  to  follow  a 
prescription.  Someone  has  said  that  sci- 
ence is  just  a  collection  of  successful 
formulas.  But  the  most  important  appli- 
cation of  this  great  idea  comes  in  the 
field  of  religion. 

The  outstanding  intelligence  of  heav- 
en was  sent  into  the  world  and  gave  us 
the  greatest  success  formula  ever  given. 
This  is  also  made  up  of  two  words 
which  also  mean  "Build  Well."  Jesus 
said,  "Follow  me."  And  every  life  must 
finally  be  judged  by  how  well  it  carries 
out  that  single  instruction. 

Almost  all  of  our  problems  come  be- 
cause we  can't  follow.  We  can't  follow 
Jesus  in  his  faith  or  in  his  devotion  or 
in  his  ability  to  avoid  the  entangle- 
ments of  sin.  Judas  lost  his  life  both 
here  and  hereafter  because  he  couldn't 
follow.  Our  great  leadership  is  of  small 
consequence  if  we  stumble  in  our 
fellowship. 

A  part  of  the  most  important  sermon 
of  Jesus  was  intended  to  help  us  develop 
good  fellowship  in  building  our  lives. 
He  said,  ".  .  .  whosoever  heareth  these 
sayings  of  mine,  and  doeth  them,  I  will 
liken  him  unto  a  wise  man,  which  built 
his  house  upon  a  rock: 

"And  the  rain  descended,  and  the 
floods  came,  and  the  winds  blew,  and 
beat  upon  that  house;  and  it  fell  not: 
for  it  was  founded  upon  a  rock. 

"And  every  one  that  heareth  these 
sayings  of  mine,  and  doeth  them  not, 
shall  be  likened  unto  a  foolish  man, 
which  built  his  house  upon  the  sand: 

"And  the  rain  descended,  and  the 
floods  came,  and  the  winds  blew,  and 
beat  upon  that  house;  and  it  fell:  and 
great  was  the  fall  of  it."  (Matt.  7:24-27.) 

If  we  need  a  blueprint  for  success 
drawn  in  a  little  smaller  scale,  we  might 
reread  that  great  literary  classic  entitled, 
"The  Three  Little  Pigs."  You  may  re- 
member that  the  first  little  pig  built  his 
house  of  straw;  the  second  one  built 
his  house  of  sticks;  and  the  third  little 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


First  Day 

pig  built  his  house  of  bricks.  When  the 
difficulties  began,  the  only  little  pig  that 
was  safe  was  the  one  who  had  been  wise 
during  the  building  period. 

The  chief  business  of  our  lives  is  to 
build  a  house  that  will  bear  the  weight 
of  eternal  life.  And  the  wise  King  Solo- 
mon gave  us  a  helpful  proverb  in  which 
he  said,  "Wisdom  hath  builded  her 
house,  she  hath  hewn  out  her  seven 
pillars."  (Prov.  9:1.)  Some  of  the  houses 
of  our  lives  fall  because  they  are  built 
upon  the  wrong  foundation;  but  others 
fall  because  they  are  insufficiently  pil- 
lared. Solomon  said  that  wisdom's 
house  had  seven  pillars.  Seven  is  a 
number  frequently  used  to  represent 
completeness.  Solomon  didn't  speci- 
fically say  what  these  seven  pillars  were, 
but  if  you  would  like  to  have  an  inter- 
esting experience,  select  the  seven  pillars 
that  you  think  would  most  effectively 
support  your  life's  building.  I  would 
like  to  name  seven  that  the  gospel  sug- 
gests to  me. 

The  first  is  industry.  Nothing  is  ever 
denied  to  well-directed  effort,  and  noth- 
ing is  ever  achieved  without  it.  Faith 
without  works  is  dead.  But  character, 
spirituality,  and  even  repentance  with- 
out works  is  dead  also.  Leonardo  da 
Vinci  once  said,  "Thou,  oh  God,  doth 
sell  us  all  good  things  at  the  price  of 
labor."  The  primary  consideration  of 
our  lives,  even  on  judgment  day,  will 
be  given  to  our  works.  Next  to  my  be- 
lief in  God  I  believe  in  industry. 

The  second  pillar  of  the  house  for 
wisdom  to  build  is  courage.  Jesus  went 
around  saying  to  people,  "Fear  not." 
"Be  not  afraid."  "Why  are  ye  troubled?" 
"Why  do  thoughts  arise  in  your 
hearts?"  So  frequently  our  house  falls 
because  we  lack  the  courage  of  our  con- 
victions. We  are  too  much  afraid  of 
circumstances;  we  are  afraid  of  people 
and  what  they  will  think. 

The  third  pillar  is  faith.  Jesus  said, 
".  .  .  all  things  are  possible  to  him  that 
believeth."  (Mark  9:23.)  We  don't  al- 
ways understand  that  faith  is  the  mov- 
ing cause  of  all  action.  It  is  not  only 
the  chief  pillar  of  success,  it  is  also  its 
very  foundation. 

The  fourth  pillar  of  wisdom's  house  is 
obedience  to  God.  The  Psalmist  re- 
minds us  that,  "Except  the  Lord  build 


ELDER  STERLING  W.  SILL 


15 


a  house,  they  labour  in  vain  who  build 
it:  .  .  ."  (Psalm  127:1.) 

Recently  a  member  of  the  Church  told 
me  that  he  was  going  to  quit  smoking. 
I  asked  him  why.  He  said  he  was  afraid 
of  getting  lung  cancer.  I  thought,  how 
much  superior  his  motive  would  have 
been  if  he  had  decided  to  give  up  his 
evil  because  God  had  said,  "Tobacco 
is  not  good  for  man."  (See  D&C  89:8.) 

Many  years  ago  a  neighbor  of  mine 
used  to  say  over  and  over  again  that  he 
did  not  want  his  children  to  follow  the 
Church  blindly.  He  wanted  them  to 
do  their  own  thinking,  to  stand  on  their 
own  feet,  and  break  their  own  trails. 
And  that  is  exactly  what  they  have 
done.  Now  twenty- five  years  later  every 
one  of  them  is  bogged  down  in  the 
quicksands  of  his  own  mistakes.  The 
most  successful  journey  is  made  possible 
when  we  first  make  sure  where  we  want 
to  go  and  then  get  a  good  set  of  road 
maps  and  stay  right  on  the  highway 
until  the  destination  is  reached.  I  have 
a  relative  who,  when  she  reads  a  novel, 
always  reads  the  last  chapter  first.  She 
wants  to  know  where  she  is  going  to 
come  out  before  she  gets  started.  That 
is  a  pretty  good  idea  for  building  our 
lives. 

Nothing  could  please  me  more  than 
to  have  my  children  follow  the  Church 
in  every  detail;  for  I  know  that  God  has 
prepared  the  road  maps,  and  that  they 
lead  to  the  most  satisfactory  of  all 
destinations. 

The  fifth  pillar  to  support  our  life's 
house  might  be  genuineness.  Emerson 
once  said  that  one  of  our  biggest  sins 
was  pretense.  Mostly  we  are  like  pennies 
trying  to  pass  ourselves  off  for  half 
dollars.  Among  the  greatest  joys  of  life 
are  the  joys  of  being:  the  joys  of  being 
genuine,  the  joys  of  being  true  blue, 
the  joys  of  knowing  within  one's  self 
that  he  is  not  a  phony.  An  honest  man 
is  the  noblest  work  of  God.  This  dis- 
cord which  we  so  frequently  permit  to 
develop  between  deed  and  creed  is  at 
the  root  of  innumerable  wrongs  in  our 
society,  and  it  gives  institutions  and  men 
split  personalities. 

Mohandas  K.  Gandhi  once  said  that 
there  were  999  people  who  believed  in 
honesty  for  every  honest  man.  I  sup- 
pose that  it  would  be  next  to  impossible 


to  find  even  one  man  who  did  not  be- 
lieve in  honesty.  And  yet  we  remember 
poor  old  Diogenes  who  went  around 
Athens  with  a  lighted  lantern  in  the 
middle  of  the  day  trying  to  find  just 
one  honest  man. 

We  have  heard  Dr.  Goodell's  story 
of  the  house  dishonesty  built.  It  tells 
of  a  very  wealthy  man  who  had  as  a 
part  of  his  household  a  young  woman 
to  whom  the  entire  family  was  devoted. 
She  was  courted  and  finally  married  by 
a  young  building  contractor. 

Then  this  wealthy  man  engaged  the 
contractor  to  build  a  house  for  him.  He 
had  the  most  famous  architect  draw  the 
plans.  Then  laying  the  plans  before 
the  builder,  he  told  him  that  he  wanted 
him  to  construct  the  finest  house  of 
which  he  was  capable.  He  made  clear 
that  money  was  not  an  object.  He 
pointed  out  that  the  specifications  called 
for  only  the  finest  materials.  Everything 
must  be  of  the  highest  quality.  But  the 
builder  had  a  little  dishonesty  in  his 
heart.  Thinking  to  make  an  extra 
profit,  he  built  a  cheap  foundation.  He 
used  third  grade  lumber  where  he 
thought  it  would  not  be  noticed.  He 
adulterated  the  paint  and  slurred  over 
the  plastering.  He  used  imitation  mate- 
rials for  the  roofing. 

When  the  young  man  handed  over 
the  keys  of  the  finished  building  to  his 
wealthy  benefactor,  he  was  told  that  this 
house  was  his  wedding  present.  It  was 
not  very  long  after  the  young  couple 
moved  in  that  the  inferior  foundation 
began  to  crack;  the  rains  seeped  through 
the  roof  and  discolored  the  walls.  Then 
throughout  the  rest  of  their  lives  the 
builder's  family  and  himself  were  con- 
tinually reminded  of  his  dishonesty. 
What  a  different  house  he  would  have 
built  if  he  had  known  that  he  was  going 
to  spend  the  rest  of  his  life  in  it! 

But  each  of  us  is  presently  building 
the  house  in  which  we  are  going  to 
spend  eternity.  And  while  we  are  think- 
ing about  the  immortality  of  the  body, 
we  should  also  give  a  little  thought  to 
the  immortality  of  the  memory  and  the 
immortality  of  the  personality.  If  we 
are  forced  to  spend  eternity  thinking 
about  our  own  misspent  lives,  then  we 
may  understand  a  little  more  clearly 
what  Paul  meant  when  he  said,  ".  .  .  let 


16 

Friday,  April  6 

every  man  take  heed  how  he  build- 
eth.  .  .  ."  (1  Cor.  3:10.) 

The  sixth  pillar  of  wisdom's  house  is 
right  thinking.  Whether  good  or  bad, 
everything  we  think  goes  into  the 
building.  In  Grenville  Kleiser's  book, 
Training  for  Power  and  Leadership,  he 
says,  "Nothing  touches  the  soul  but 
leaves  its  impress.  And  thus  little  by 
little  we  are  fashioned  into  the  image 
of  all  we  have  seen  and  heard,  known 
or  meditated  upon.  If  we  learn  to  live 
with  all  that  is  fairest  and  purest  and 
best,  the  love  of  it  will  in  the  end 
become  our  very  life." 

What  a  strength  this  pillar  can  be- 
come, if  we  always  keep  wisdom  and 
reason  in  control  of  our  thinking. 

The  seventh  pillar  supporting  wis- 
dom's house  is  love.  This  is  the  pillar 
on  which  the  two  greatest  command- 
ments rest.  Someone  was  once  asked 
what  commandment  in  his  opinion 
came  next  in  importance  to  love.  And 
he  replied  that  he  didn't  know  there 
was  one. 

We  are  all  free  to  hew  out  as  many 
pillars  as  we  desire  for  the  support  of 
this  great  structure  that  Paul  refers  to 
as  "God's  building."  And  where  could 
we  find  a  more  challenging  comparison? 
For  we  are  not  only  created  in  the 
image  of  God,  but  we  have  been  en- 
dowed with  a  set  of  his  attributes,  the 
development  of  which  is  one  of  the 
purposes  for  which  we  live. 

God  has  instructed  us  to  use  only  the 
finest  materials.  He  cannot  look  upon 
sin  with  the  least  degree  of  allowance, 
because  he  knows  its  terrible  destructive- 
ness  in  people's  lives.  Therefore,  God 
has  provided  that  every  man  should 
carry  within  himself  the  very  things 
that  he  seeks.  If  you  need  the  kind  of 
faith  that  will  move  mountains,  you 
need  only  look  within  yourself,  for  God 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


First  Day 

has  already  implanted  in  your  own 
heart  the  seeds  of  faith,  waiting  only  for 
you  to  make  them  grow.  If  you  need 
courage  and  love  for  the  greatest  ac- 
complishment, you  can  develop  that 
which  you  have  already  been  endowed. 
God  laid  up  the  silver,  gold,  and  other 
precious  things  in  the  earth,  but  he  put 
his  own  potentialities  into  his  children 
and  has  made  their  development  our 
greatest  responsibility,  for  as  Edwin 
Markham  has  said: 

"We  are  all  blind  until  we  see 
That  in  the  human  plan; 
Nothing  is  worth  the  building 
That  does  not  build  the  man. 

"Why  build  these  cities  glorious 
If  man  unbuilded  goes. 
In  vain  we  build  the  world 
Unless  the  builder  also  grows." 

May  God  help  us  to  "build  well"  is 
my  humble  prayer  in  Jesus'  name.  Amen. 

President  David  O.  McKay: 

He  to  whom  we  have  just  listened  is 
Elder  Sterling  W.  Sill,  Assistant  to  the 
Twelve  Apostles.  The  Chorus  and  Con- 
gregation will  now  join  in  singing,  "We 
Thank  Thee,  O  God,  For  A  Prophet," 
conducted  by  Kurt  Weinzinger.  Elder 
Romney  will  speak  after  the  singing. 


The  Congregation  joined  with  the 
Brigham  Young  University  Combined 
Choruses  in  singing  the  hymn,  "We 
Thank  Thee,  O  God,  For  A  Prophet." 

President  David  O.  McKay: 

Elder  Marion  G.  Romney  of  the 
Council  of  the  Twelve  will  be  our 
concluding  speaker. 


ELDER  MARION  G.  ROMNEY 

Of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 


My  beloved  brothers  and  sisters,  I  have 
in  mind  this  morning  saying  a  few 
things  about  "The  Oath  and  Covenant 
Which  Belongeth  to  the  Priesthood." 
The  inspiration  for  these  remarks  came 
to  me   recently  while   I   was   working 


with  a  committee  on  a  program  for  the 
commemoration  of  the  one  hundred 
thirty-third  anniversary  of  the  resto- 
ration of  the  Melchizedek  Priesthood. 

As   I   heard   President   McKay   speak 
about  that  day  132  years  ago  when  six 


ELDER  MARION  G.  ROMNEY 


17 


men  gathered  in  the  home  of  Peter 
Whitmer  to  organize  the  Church,  I  re- 
called that  ten  months  prior  thereto  the 
Prophet  Joseph  Smith  and  Oliver 
Cowdery  had  received  from  Peter,  James, 
and  John  the  power  by  which  they 
would  organize  The  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  That  power 
was  the  Melchizedek  Priesthood — the 
greatest  power  that  has  come  to  the 
earth  in  any  dispensation,  the  power 
which  will  outlast  and  control  the  great 
powers  now  being  discovered  by  men. 

By  way  of  confession  and  avoidance 
to  the  charge  that  these  remarks  might 
be  more  appropriate  in  a  priesthood 
meeting,  I  assure  you  mothers  and 
sweethearts  that  when  you  receive  the 
exaltation  for  which  true  Saints  earn- 
estly strive,  you  will  be  with  a  Melchize- 
dek Priesthood  bearer  who  has  magnified 
his  calling.  Therefore,  anything  you  can 
do  to  encourage  your  loved  one  to 
magnify  his  priesthood  will  repay  you 
a  thousandfold. 

Traditionally,  God's  people  have  been 
known  as  a  covenant  people.  The  gos- 
pel itself  is  the  new  and  everlasting 
covenant.  The  posterity  of  Abraham 
through  Isaac  and  Jacob  is  the  covenant 
race.  We  come  into  the  Church  by 
covenant,  which  we  enter  into  when  we 
go  into  the  waters  of  baptism.  The  new 
and  everlasting  covenant  of  celestial 
marriage  is  the  gate  to  exaltation  in  the 
celestial  kingdom.  Men  receive  the 
Melchizedek  Priesthood  by  an  oath  and 
covenant. 

A  covenant  is  an  agreement  between 
two  or  more  parties.  An  oath  is  a  sworn 
attestation  to  the  inviolability  of  the 
promises  in  the  agreement.  In  the 
covenant  of  the  priesthood  the  parties 
are  the  Father  and  the  receiver  of  the 
priesthood.  Each  party  to  the  covenant 
undertakes  certain  obligations.  The  re- 
ceiver undertakes  to  magnify  his  calling 
in  the  priesthood.  The  Father,  by  oath 
and  covenant,  promises  the  receiver  that 
if  he  does  so  magnify  his  priesthood  he 
will  be  sanctified  by  the  Spirit  unto  the 
renewing  of  his  body;  (see  D&C  84:33) 
that  he  will  become  a  member  of  ".  .  . 
the  church  and  kingdom,  and  the  elect 
of  God,"  (ibid.,  84:34)  and  receive  the 
".  .  .  Father's  kingdom;  therefore,"  said 
the  Savior,  "all  that  my  Father  hath 


shall  be  given  unto  him."  (Ibid.,  84:38.) 

It  is  of  such — that  is,  those  who  receive 
the  priesthood  and  magnify  it — so  I  be- 
lieve, of  whom  the  following  was 
written:  "They  are  they  into  whose 
hands  the  Father  has  given  all  things — 

"They  are  they  who  are  priests  and 
kings,  who  have  received  of  his  fulness, 
and  of  his  glory; 

"And  are  priests  of  the  Most  High, 
after  the  order  of  .  .  .  the  Only  Begotten 
Son.  Wherefore,  as  it  is  written,  they 
are  gods,  even  the  sons  of  God — " 
(Ibid.,  76:55-58.) 

These  transcendent  blessings  the 
Father  promises  the  receiver  of  the  Mel- 
chizedek Priesthood  by  an  oath  and 
covenant  which  he  says  ".  .  .  he  cannot 
break,  neither  can  it  be  moved."  (Ibid., 
84:40.)  But  these  blessings,  as  has  al- 
ready been  indicated,  do  not  come  by 
ordination  alone.  Ordination  to  the 
priesthood  is  a  prerequisite  to  receiving 
them,  but  it  does  not  guarantee  them. 
For  a  man  actually  to  obtain  them,  he 
must  faithfully  discharge  the  obligation 
which  is  placed  upon  him  when  he  re- 
ceives the  priesthood;  that  is,  he  must 
magnify  his  calling. 

Now  let  us  consider  for  a  moment  just 
what  magnifying  one's  calling  in  the 
priesthood  means.  Speaking  to  the 
assembled  bearers  of  the  priesthood  at 
the  time  the  "oath  and  covenant"  was 
revealed,  the  Lord  said,  "...  I  have 
given  the  heavenly  hosts  and  mine 
angels  charge  concerning  you."  (Ibid., 
84:42.  Italics  added.)  This  has  always 
been  an  extremely  impressive  and  sacred 
statement  to  me,  to  think  that  the  Lord 
has  given  his  angels  and  his  heavenly 
hosts  charge  concerning  those  who  re- 
ceive the  priesthood. 

Then,  addressing  the  elders,  he  con- 
tinued: "And  I  now  give  unto  you  [you 
bearers  of  the  priesthood]  a  command- 
ment to  beware  concerning  yourselves, 
to  give  diligent  heed  to  the  words  of 
eternal  life. 

"For  you  shall  live  by  every  word 
that  proceedeth  forth  from  the  mouth 
of  God."  (Ibid.,  84:43-44.) 

It  is  compliance  with  this  charge 
which  entitles  the  bearer  of  the  priest- 
hood to  the  blessings  and  rewards  of- 
fered by  the  Father  in  "the  oath  and 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


18 

Friday,  April  6 

covenant  which  belongeth  to  the  priest- 
hood." 

The  status  of  one  who  receives  the 
priesthood  and  then  breaks  the  covenant 
is  explained  by  the  Lord  in  this 
language:  ".  .  .  whoso  breaketh  this 
covenant  after  he  hath  received  it,  and 
altogether  turneth  therefrom,  shall  not 
have  forgiveness  of  sins  in  this  world 
nor  in  the  world  to  come."  (Ibid., 
84:41.) 

With  such  a  penalty  prescribed  for 
breaking  it,  one  might  be  prompted  to 
question  the  advisability  of  accepting 
the  obligations  of  the  covenant;  that 
is,  he  might  question  it  until  he  reads 
the  verse  which  follows  the  statement 
of  the  penalty.  There  he  learns  that 
those  who  do  not  receive  the  oath  and 
covenant  are  not  much,  if  any,  better 
off  than  are  those  who  receive  it  and 
break  it.  For  in  that  verse  the  Lord 
says:  "And,  wo  unto  all  those  who 
come  not  unto  this  priesthood  which 
ye  have  received,  .  .  ."  (Ibid.,  84:42.) 

Such  is  the  sober  import  of  "the  oath 
and  covenant  which  belongeth  to  the 
priesthood."  You  can  read  it  in  full  just 
as  the  Lord  gave  it  in  the  84th  section 
of  the  Doctrine  and  Covenants  be- 
ginning with  the  33rd  verse. 

It  is  apparent  from  this  revelation  that 
the  only  way  a  man  can  make  the  maxi- 
mum progress  towards  eternal  life,  for 
which  mortality  is  designed,  is  to  ob- 
tain and  magnify  the  Melchizedek 
Priesthood.  With  ".  .  .  eternal  life,  .  .  . 
the  greatest  of  all  the  gifts  of  God" 
(ibid.,  14:7)  depending  upon  it,  it  is  of 
utmost  importance  that  we  keep  clearly 
in  mind  what  the  magnifying  of  our 
callings  in  the  priesthood  requires  of  us. 
I  am  persuaded  that  it  requires  at  least 
the  following  three  things: 

1.  That  we  obtain  a  knowledge  of  the 
gospel. 

2.  That  we  comply  in  our  personal 
living  with  the  standards  of  the  gospel. 

3.  That  we  give  dedicated  service. 
As  to  the  importance  of  a  knowledge 

of  the  gospel,  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith 
said  that  "It  is  impossible  for  a  man 
to  be  saved  in  ignorance."  (Ibid.,  131:6.) 
That  he  had  in  mind  ignorance  of 
gospel  truths  is  evident  from  the  fact 
that  on  another  occasion  he  said:  "A 
man   is  saved  no  faster  than  he  gets 


First  Day 

knowledge,  for  if  he  does  not  get  knowl- 
edge, he  will  be  brought  into  captivity 
by  some  evil  power  in  the  other  world, 
as  evil  spirits  will  have  more  knowledge, 
and  consequently  more  power  than 
many  men  who  are  on  the  earth.  Hence 
it  needs  revelation  to  assist  us,  and  give 
us  knowledge  of  the  things  of  God." 
(DHC  4,  588.) 

There  is  no  knowledge  other  than 
knowledge  of  the  things  of  God  that  will 
save  us.  "Ye  must  grow  in  grace  and 
in  the  knowledge  of  the  truth,"  the 
Lord  said  to  the  brethren  in  the  infant 
days  of  the  Church.  (D&C  50:40.) 

In  the  revelation  given  to  President 
Brigham  Young  at  Winter  Quarters  in 
January  1847,  the  Lord  said:  "Let  him 
that  is  ignorant  learn  wisdom  by  hum- 
bling himself  and  calling  upon  the  Lord 
his  God,  that  his  eyes  may  be  opened 
that  he  may  see,  and  his  ears  opened 
that  he  may  hear; 

"For  my  Spirit  is  sent  forth  into  the 
world  to  enlighten  the  humble  and 
contrite,  and  to  the  condemnation  of 
the  ungodly."  (Ibid.,  136:32-33.) 

Fourteen  years  earlier  the  Lord  had 
thus  counseled  the  brethren:  "...  I 
give  unto  you  a  commandment  that  ye 
shall  continue  in  prayer  and  fasting 
from  this  time  forth. 

"And  I  give  unto  you  a  command- 
ment that  you  shall  teach  one  another 
the  doctrine  of  the  kingdom. 

"Teach  ye  diligently  and  my  grace 
shall  attend  you,  that  you  may  be  in- 
structed more  perfectly  in  theory,  in 
principle,  in  doctrine,  in  the  law  of  the 
gospel,  in  all  things  that  pertain  unto 
the  kingdom  of  God,  that  are  expedient 
for  you  to  understand;  .  .  ."  (Ibid., 
88:76-78.) 

One  of  the  best  ways  to  learn  the 
gospel  is  to  search  the  scriptures.  Our 
purpose  in  urging  all  bearers  of  the 
Melchizedek  Priesthood  to  read  the 
Book  of  Mormon  during  1961  was  that 
they  might  learn  more  about  the  gospel. 
One  cannot  honestly  study  the  Book 
of  Mormon  without  learning  gospel 
truths,  because  it  contains  ".  .  .  the  ful- 
ness of  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  to 
the  Gentiles  and  to  the  Jews  also;  .  .  ." 
(Ibid.,  20:9.)  So  impressed  was  the 
Prophet  Joseph  with  it  that  he  "told 
the  brethren  that  the  Book  of  Mormon 


ELDER  MARION  G.  ROMNEY 


19 


was  the  most  correct  book  of  any  book 
on  earth,  and  the  keystone  of  our 
religion,  and  a  man  would  get  nearer 
to  God  by  abiding  by  its  precepts,  than 
by  any  other  books."    (DHC  4,  461.) 

I  am  very  happy  to  advise  you  that 
I  have  reports  from  332  stake  presidents 
to  the  effect  that  in  their  stakes  there 
was  a  combined  total  of  59,740  bearers 
of  the  Melchizedek  Priesthood  who  read 
the  Book  of  Mormon  through  during 
1961.  I  am  sure  that  each  of  these  men 
can  truthfully  testify  that  his  knowl- 
edge of  the  gospel  was  increased  by 
his  reading. 

But  learning  the  gospel  from  books 
is  not  enough.  It  must  be  lived  by  one 
who  would  magnify  his  calling  in  the 
priesthood.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  getting 
a  knowledge  of  the  gospel  and  living  it 
are  interdependent.  They  go  hand  in 
hand.  One  cannot  fully  learn  the 
gospel  without  living  it.  A  knowledge 
of  the  gospel  comes  by  degrees.  One 
learns  a  little,  obeys  what  he  learns; 
learns  a  little  more,  obeys  that;  and 
repeats  this  cycle  in  an  endless  round. 
Such  is  the  pattern  by  which  one  can 
move  on  to  a  full  knowledge  of  the 
gospel. 

John,  the  Beloved,  says  that  this  was 
the  way  Jesus  attained  a  fulness.  He 
wrote:  "And  I,  John,  saw  that  he  re- 
ceived not  of  the  fulness  at  first,  but 
received  grace  for  grace; 

"And  he  .  .  .  continued  from  grace 
to  grace,  until  he  received  a  fulness." 
(D&C  93:12-13.) 

Jesus  prescribed  the  same  process  for 
us  in  these  words:  ".  .  .  if  you  keep  my 
commandments  you  shall  receive  of  his 
fulness,  and  be  glorified  in  me  as  I  am 
in  the  Father;  therefore,  I  say  unto  you, 
you  shall  receive  grace  for  grace." 
(Ibid.,  93:20.) 

And  in  another  scripture:  "And  no 
man  receiveth  a  fulness  unless  he  keep- 
eth  his  commandments. 

"He  that  keepeth  his  commandments 
receiveth  truth  and  light,  until  he  is 
glorified  in  truth  and  knoweth  all 
things."  (Ibid.,  93:27-28.) 

I  cannot  understand  how  one  can  read 
these  words  without  having  his  heart 
filled  with  joy. 

Jesus    further    points    out    that    the 


commandments  we  are  required  to  keep 
are  given  in  the  scriptures,  and  adds:  "If 
thou  lovest  me  thou  shalt  serve  me  and 
keep  all  my  commandments."  (Ibid., 
42:29.)  And  ".  .  .  unto  him  that  keepeth 
my  commandments  I  will  give  the 
mysteries  of  my  kingdom,  and  the  same 
shall  be  in  him  a  well  of  living  water, 
springing  up  unto  everlasting  life." 
(Ibid.,  63:23.) 

Many  of  the  commandments  concern- 
ing our  personal  conduct  are  to  be  found 
in  the  forty-second  section  of  the  Doc- 
trine and  Covenants,  which  the  Prophet 
Joseph  specifies  "as  embracing  the  Law 
of  the  Church."  Every  priesthood  bearer 
should  be  familiar  with  this  revelation 
and  with  the  instructions  given  in  sec- 
tion fifty-nine  and  in  section  eighty- 
eight,  particularly  verses  1 17  to  126.  In- 
deed, a  priesthood  bearer  with  serious 
intentions  of  so  magnifying  his  calling 
as  to  merit  the  blessing  of  the  "covenant 
which  belongeth  to  the  priesthood" 
should  be  conversant  with  all  the  in- 
structions given  to  guide  us  in  our 
personal  conduct — both  those  recorded 
in  the  scriptures  and  those  being  received 
currently  by  the  living  prophets.  One 
can  scarcely  hope  to  be  fortified  "against 
the  wiles  of  the  devil"  by  putting  "on 
the  whole  armour  of  God"  (see 
Ephesians  6:11)  unless  he  knows  what 
that  armor  is. 

But  the  commandments  do  not  per- 
tain alone  to  one's  personal  conduct. 
They  put  on  every  bearer  of  the  priest- 
hood the  stimulating  responsibility  to 
render  service — service  in  carrying  the 
restored  gospel,  with  all  the  blessings 
of  the  priesthood,  to  the  peoples  of  the 
earth;  and  service  in  comforting, 
strengthening,  and  perfecting  the  lives 
of  one  another  and  all  the  Saints  of 
God. 

The  nature  of  this  service  is  spelled 
out  in  detail  in  the  revelations  and  by 
the  living  prophets.  The  burden  of  it 
the  Lord  has  laid  upon  his  priesthood. 
It  can  be  done  properly  only  by  men 
who  are  magnifying  their  priesthood; 
who  know  the  gospel,  conform  their 
lives  to  its  standards,  and  who  en- 
thusiastically give  dedicated  service  in 
the  spirit  of  the  divine  proclamation 
that  ".  .  .  men  should  be  anxiously  en- 
gaged in  a  good  cause,  and  do  many 


20 

Friday,  April  6 

things  of  their  own  free  will,  and  bring 
to  pass  much  righteousness; 

"For  the  power  is  in  them,  .  .  ." 
(D&C  58:27-28.) 

Such  man  are  magnifying  their  call- 
ings, and  they  shall  obtain  the  rewards 
promised  by  the  Lord  in  the  "oath  and 
covenant  which  belongeth  to  the  priest- 
hood." That  each  of  us  may  be  found 
in  this  choice  group,  I  humbly  pray 
in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ.   Amen. 

President  David  O.  McKay: 

Elder  Marion  G.  Romney  of  the 
Council  of  the  Twelve  has  just  spoken 
to  us.  The  Brigham  Young  University 
Combined  Choruses  will  now  favor  us 
with  "O  Clap  Your  Hands,"  conducted 
by  Elder  Kurt  Weinzinger.  The  bene- 
diction will  be  offered  by  Elder  Boyd 
LeRoy  Fugal,  president  of  Timpanogos 
Stake,  after  which  this  Conference  will 
be  adjourned  until  two  o'clock  this 
afternoon. 

I  think  I  will  take  just  a  minute  to 
thank  these  boys  and  girls  for  their 
presence  here  today.  It  is  always  a  most 
pleasing  feature  of  our  Conferences  to 
have  with  us  students  from  our  leading 
educational  institutions  in  the  state  and 
adjoining  states. 

I  believe  I  will  tell  something  about 
you  that  you  do  not  know.  It  is  said 
that—  .'..'! 

You  never  can  tell  what  our  thought 

will  do 
In  bringing  you  hate  or  love, 
For  thoughts  are  things 
And  their  airy  wings 
Are  swifter  than  carrier  dove. 
They  follow  the  law  of  the  universe, 
Each  thing  must  create  its  kind; 
And  they  sweep  o'er  the  track 
To  bring  you  back 
Whatever  went  out  from  your  mind. 

If  that  is  true  of  thoughts  it  is  true 
of  acts.  Here  is  what  some  students  of 
the  Brigham  Young  University  did  to 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


First  Day 

a  conductor  on  one  of  our  railroads.  I 
have  not  his  permission  to  read  it,  but 
I  am  going  to. 

"It  is  with  pleasure  that  I  tell  you 
that  on  the  evening  of  January  the  third 
1962,  going  west  on  the  California 
Zephyr,  I  met  the  nicest  group  of 
students  that  I  have  had  the  pleasure 
of  visiting  with  in  many  years.  While 
checking  the  train  I  came  to  a  coach 
loaded  to  capacity  with  young  men 
and  women  that  I  later  learned  were 
going  to  Provo  to  attend  the  Brigham 
Young  University.  I  was  amazed  to  find 
that  a  coach  loaded  with  60  or  more 
young  people,  as  this  one  was,  could  be 
so  quiet  and  orderly,  compared  with 
some  of  the  other  groups  we  have 
handled  which  had  the  aisles  littered 
with  beer  and  whiskey  bottles,  with 
blinds  torn  from  the  windows,  with 
water  fountains  plugged  and  the  water 
drained  all  over  the  floor,  the  air  blue 
with  tobacco  smoke  and  the  entire  train 
in  an  uproar,  this  group  was  eating 
candy,  reading,  writing  letters,  play- 
ing musical  instruments,  visiting  with 
friends,  and  believe  it  or  not,  some 
were  even  studying,  (laughter)  It  would 
be  very  hard  to  find  another  group 
containing  as  many  perfect  ladies  and 
gentlemen." 

Congratulations.  Thank  you  for  your 
presence  this  morning  and  your  in- 
spirational singing  and  you  will  be  with 
us  this  afternoon,  but  I  took  time  now 
to  thank  you  for  fear  we  might  not  have 
time  at  the  close  of  the  meeting.  We 
are  proud  of  you.  Please  give  us  your 
closing  number  and  then  President  Boyd 
LeRoy  Fugal  of  Timpanogos  Stake  will 
offer  the  benediction. 


As  a  concluding  number,  the  Com- 
bined Choruses  sang  the  selection,  "O 
Clap  Your  Hands." 

President  Boyd  LeRoy  Fugal  of  the 
Timpanogos  Stake  offered  the  closing 
prayer. 

Conference  adjourned  until  2:00  p.m. 


FIRST  DAY 


AFTERNOON  MEETING 


The  Friday  afternoon  session  of  the 
Conference  convened  at  2:00  p.m.  in  the 
Tabernacle,  with  President  David  O. 
McKay  presiding  and  conducting  the 
services.  The  President  announced  that 
the  singing  for  this  session  would  be  by 
the  Brigham  Young  University  Com- 
bined Choruses,  Maughan  McMurdie 
conducting,  with  Alexander  Schreiner 
at  the  organ. 


President  David  O.  McKay: 

The  Tabernacle  is  filled  to  overflow- 
ing this  Friday  afternoon  and  many 
people  are  tuned  in  on  the  radios  and 
televisions.  We  extend  a  hearty  wel- 
come to  our  unseen  audience  and  to  all 
who  are  gathered  in  this  great  hall. 

We  again  acknowledge  with  appre- 
ciation the  presence  of  our  stake  presi- 
dencies, high  councilmen,  bishoprics, 
temple  presidencies,  general  auxiliary 
officers,  patriarchs,  and  others,  and  we 
extend  a  hearty  welcome  and  express 
satisfaction  and  pleasure  in  the  attend- 
ance of  special  guests  and  prominent 
men  in  the  nation  and  the  state. 

We  are  favored  again  this  afternoon 
by  the  presence  of  the  Brigham  Young 
University  Combined  Choruses,  with 
Professor  Maughan  McMurdie  conduct- 


ing and  Alexander  Schreiner  at  the 
organ.  We  shall  begin  these  services 
by  the  Brigham  Young  University  Com- 
bined Choruses  singing,  "How  Lovely 
Is  Thy  Dwelling  Place."  The  invoca- 
tion will  be  offered  by  Elder  Benjamin 
W.  Wilkerson,  president  of  the  South 
Carolina  Stake. 

The  Brigham  Young  University  Com- 
bined Choruses  sang,  "How  Lovely  Is 
Thy  Dwelling  Place." 

Benjamin  W.  Wilkerson,  president  of 
the  South  Carolina  Stake,  offered  the 
opening  prayer. 

President  David  O.  McKay: 

The  invocation  was  offered  by  Elder 
Benjamin  W.  Wilkerson,  president  of 
the  South  Carolina  Stake.  The  Com- 
bined Choruses  of  Brigham  Young  Uni- 
versity will  now  favor  us  with,  "I  Need 
Thee  Every  Hour,"  conducted  by 
Maughan  McMurdie.  After  the  singing, 
Elder  Joseph  W.  Anderson,  Clerk  of  the 
Conference,  will  read  some  important 
statistical  data  of  the  Church. 

The  hymn,  "I  Need  Thee  Every 
Hour,"  was  sung  by  the  Combined 
Choruses. 


STATISTICAL  REPORT  —  1961 

For  the  Information  of  the  Members  of  the  Church: 

The  First  Presidency  issued  the  following  Statistical  Report  concerning  the  member- 
ship of  the  Church  at  the  end  of  the  year  1961. 

I.  STATISTICAL  INFORMATION 

Number  of  Stakes  of  Zion  at  close  of  1961  345 

An  increase  of  26  Stakes  during  the  year 

Number  of  Wards  2,691 

Number  of  Independent  Branches  in  Stakes 452 

Total  Wards  and  Independent  Branches  in  Stakes  at  close  of  year 3,143 

Number  of  Mission  Branches  at  close  of  year 1,820 

Number  of  Full-Time  Missions  at  end  of  year 

(Not  including  Area  Supervisory  Missions 64 

Church  Membership,  December  31,  1961: 

In  the  Stakes 1,514,551 

In  the  Missions  309,110 

Total  Membership 1,823,661 

A  net  increase  of  130,481  Members  during  the  year 


22  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Friday,  April  6  First  Day 

Church  Growth  during  1961: 

Children  blessed  in  Stakes  and  Missions  55,040 

Children  baptized  in  Stakes  and  Missions  46,365 

Converts  baptized  in  Stakes  and  Missions  88,807 

An  increase  of  40,221  over  the  number  of  Convert  Baptisms 

during  the  preceding  year. 

Social  Statistics: 

(Based  on  1961  data  from  the  Stakes) 

Birth  rate  per  thousand  32.2 

Marriage  rate  per  thousand  8.43 

Death  rate  per  thousand 5.68 

Priesthood: 

Members  holding  the  Aaronic  Priesthood,  December  31,  1961: 

Deacons 86,099 

Teachers  65,277 

Priests   86,005 

Total  number  holding  Aaronic  Priesthood  - - 237,381 

Members  holding  the  Melchizedek  Priesthood,  December  31,  1961: 

Elders 164,186 

Seventies  21,373 

High  Priests 52,221 

Total  number  holding  Melchizedek  Priesthood  237,780 

Grand  Total,  members  holding  Aaronic  or  Melchizedek  Priesthood  475,161 

Auxiliary  Organizations: 

Relief  Society  (Membership) 231,175 

Deseret  Sunday  School  Union  (average  attendance) 680,999 

Young  Men's  Mutual  Improvement  Association  (enrollment)  188,259 

Young  Women's  Mutual  Improvement  Association  (enrollment)   203,556 

Primary  (children  enrolled)  347,593 

Welfare  Plan: 

Number  of  Persons  assisted  - 106,882 

Number  placed  in  remunerative  employment  during  the  year  8,944 

Man-days  of  work  donated  to  the  Welfare  Plan  during  the  year  145,200 

Unit-days  of  equipment  use  donated  10,100 

Genealogical  Society: 

Names  cleared  in  1961  for  Temple  Ordinances  1,079,093 

Genealogical  records  microfilmed  in  15  countries  during  the  year  were  equiva- 
lent to  173,350  printed  volumes  of  approximately  300  pages  per  volume. 

Temples: 

Number  of  ordinances  performed  during  1961   in  the  12  operating  Temples: 

For  the  living  43,540 

For  the  dead 3,947,158 

Total  number  of  ordinances  3,990,698 

Church  School  System: 

Total   1961   cumulative  enrollments  in  Church  School  System 
(including  schools  in  the  Pacific): 

College  Students - 28,442 

Elementary  and  High  School  Students 66,696 


STATISTICAL  REPORT 


23 


Missionaries: 

Number  of  Missionaries  who  at  the  close  of  1961  were  laboring  under  calls 

from  the  First  Presidency  in  the  full-time  missions  10,383 

Number  of  Local  Missionaries   (full-time   and  part-time)    who  at  the  close 

of  1961  were  laboring  in  these  missions  1,209 

Number  of  Stake  Missionaries  at  the  close  of  the  year  5,858 

Total  number  of  Missionaries  at  end  of  year  17,450 

Number   of    Missionaries   who    received    training    in    the    Missionary    Home 

during  1961  5,930 

THOSE  WHO  HAVE  PASSED  AWAY 

President  J.   Reuben   Clark,  Jr.,   First   Counselor   in   the   First   Presidency,    passed    away 

October  6,  1961. 
Alonzo  F.  Hopkin,  President  of  the  Woodruff  Stake. 
Tracy  Y.  Cannon,  Executive  Chairman  of  the  General  Music  Committee  of  the  Church. 


President  David  O.  McKay: 

Elder  Orval  W.  Adams  will  now  read 
the  report  of  the  Church  Finance  Com- 
mittee. 

CHURCH  FINANCE  COMMITTEE 
REPORT 

Elder  Orval  W.  Adams  read  the  fol- 
lowing report: 

April  2,   1962 
The  First  Presidency 
47  East  South  Temple  Street 
Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 
Dear  Brethren: 

We  have  reviewed  the  report  of  the 
1961  financial  operations  of  the  Corpora- 
tion of  the  President  of  The  Church  of 
Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints,  as  well 
as  of  auxiliaries  and  other  organizations 
for  which  accounts  are  maintained  in 
the  Financial  Department  of  the  Church. 
Attention  was  given  particularly  to  the 
accounting  procedures  followed  as  to 
funds  received  and  to  the  manner  in 
which  expenditures  are  controlled.  We 
have  determined  that  the  expenditures 
of  such  funds  are  authorized  by  The 
First  Presidency  or  by  budget  procedures. 
The  budget  is  authorized  by  the  Council 
on  Disposition  of  Tithes  comprised  of 
The  First  Presidency,  the  Council  of  the 
Twelve  and  the  Presiding  Bishopric. 

A  continuous  audit  of  the  financial 
records  of  the  Church  is  conducted  by 
the  Church  Auditing  Department  which 
is  completely  independent  of  all  other 
departments.  Professional  auditing  firms 
are  employed  to  audit  certain  organiza- 
tions, or  businesses  owned  or  controlled 
by  the  Church. 

Based  upon  our  review  of  the  financial 


reports  of  the  Corporation  of  the  Presi- 
dent of  The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter-day  Saints  and  explanations  made 
by  the  personnel  of  the  Financial  and 
Auditing  Departments  of  the  Church, 
we  are  of  the  opinion  that  the  expendi- 
tures of  funds  during  the  year  1961  were 
made  in  accordance  with  the  established 
procedures  outlined  herein. 

We  congratulate  the  General  Authori- 
ties and  their  associates  for  the  manner 
in  which  the  finances  of  the  Church  are 
administered,  and  we  commend  the 
Church  Financial  Department  and  the 
Church  Auditing  Department  for  the 
expert  and  careful  manner  in  which  all 
financial  records  are  maintained  and 
audited. 

Respectfully  submitted, 

CHURCH  FINANCE 
COMMITTEE 

Orval  W.  Adams 
Harold  H.  Bennett 
Glenn  E.  Nielson 
Wilford  G.  Edling 
Weston  E.  Hamilton 

President  David  O.  McKay: 

President  Henry  D.  Moyle,  First 
Counselor  in  the  First  Presidency,  will 
now  present  the  General  Authorities, 
General  Officers,  and  General  Auxiliary 
Officers  of  the  Church  for  the  sustain- 
ing vote  of  this  General  Conference. 

President  Henry  D.  Moyle: 

Sister  Arta  M.  Hale,  First  Counselor 
to  Sister  LaVern  Parmley,  President  of 
the  Primary  Association  of  The  Church 


24  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Friday,  April  6  First  Day 

of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints,  has  Parmley,  with  our  vote  of  appreciation 

been  called  to  serve  on  the  Children's  and  gratitude  for  the  tremendous  service 

Correlation    Committee    of    the    All-  that  she  has  rendered  in  this  calling. 

Church    Coordinating    Council.     It    is  Those  in  favor  of  sustaining  this  proposi- 

therefore  proposed  that  we  release  Arta  tion,  will   please  make  it  manifest  in 

M.   Hale   as  First  Counselor  to  Sister  the  usual  manner. 


GENERAL  AUTHORITIES  OF  THE  CHURCH 

The  First  Presidency 

David  O.  McKay,  Prophet,  Seer  and  Revelator,  and  President  of  The  Church 
of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints. 

Henry  D.  Moyle,  First  Counselor  in  the  First  Presidency. 
Hugh  B.  Brown,  Second  Counselor  in  the  First  Presidency. 

President  of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 
Joseph  Fielding  Smith 

Quorum  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 

Joseph  Fielding  Smith  Marion  G.  Romney 

Harold  B.  Lee  LeGrand  Richards 

Spencer  W.  Kimball  Richard  L.  Evans 

Ezra  Taft  Benson  George  Q.  Morris 

Mark  E.  Petersen  Howard  W.  Hunter 

Delbert  L.  Stapley  Gordon  B.  Hinckley 

Patriarch  to  the  Church 
Eldred  G.  Smith 

The  Counselors  in  the  First  Presidency,  the  Twelve  Apostles  and  the  Patriarch 
to  the  Church  as  Prophets,  Seers  and  Revel  ators. 

Assistants  to  the  Twelve 

Alma  Sonne  Alvin  R.  Dyer 

El  Ray  L.  Christiansen  Nathan  Eldon  Tanner 

John  Longden  Franklin  D.  Richards 

Sterling  W.  Sill  Theodore  M.  Burton 

Henry  D.  Taylor  Thorpe  B.  Isaacson 

William  J.  Critchlow,  Jr.  Boyd  K.  Packer 

Trustee-in-Trust 

David  O.  McKay 

as  Trustee-in-Trust  for  The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints 

The  First  Council  of  the  Seventy 

Levi  Edgar  Young  Bruce  R.  McConkie 

Antoine  R.  Ivins  Marion  D.  Hanks 

Seymour  Dilworth  Young  Albert  Theodore  Tuttle 
Milton  R.  Hunter 


GENERAL  OFFICERS  OF  THE  CHURCH  25 

Presiding  Bishopric 

John  H.  Vandenberg,  Presiding  Bishop 
Robert  L.  Simpson,  First  Counselor 
Victor  L.  Brown,  Second  Counselor 

Church  Historian  and  Recorder 

Joseph  Fielding  Smith,  with  A.  William  Lund  and 
Preston  Nibley  as  Assistants. 

GENERAL  AUXILIARY  OFFICERS  OF  THE  CHURCH 
Relief  Society 

Belle  Smith  Spafford,  President 
Marianne  Clark  Sharp,  First  Counselor 
Louise  Wallace  Madsen,  Second  Counselor 

with  all  members  of  the  Board  as  at  present  constituted. 
Deseret  Sunday  School  Union 

George  R.  Hill,  General  Superintendent 

David  Lawrence  McKay,  First  Assistant  Superintendent 

Lynn  S.  Richards,  Second  Assistant  Superintendent 

with  all  members  of  the  Board  as  at  present  constituted. 

Young  Men's  Mutual  Improvement  Association 

Joseph  T.  Bentley,  General  Superintendent 
Marvin  J.  Ashton,  First  Assistant  Superintendent 
Carl  W.  Buehner,  Second  Assistant  Superintendent 

with  all  members  of  the  Board  as  at  present  constituted. 

Young  Women's  Mutual  Improvement  Association 

Florence  Smith  Jacobsen,  President 
Margaret  Romney  Jackson,  First  Counselor 
Dorothy  Palmer  Holt,  Second  Counselor 

with  all  members  of  the  Board  as  at  present  constituted. 

Primary  Association 

LaVern  W.  Parmley,  President 
Leone  W.  Doxey,  First  Counselor 
Eileen  R.  Dunyon,  Second  Counselor 

with  all  members  of  the  Board  as  at  present  constituted. 

Church  Board  of  Education 

David  O.  McKay  Delbert  L.  Stapley 

Henry  D.  Moyle  Marion  G.  Romney 

Hugh  B.  Brown  LeGrand  Richards 

Joseph  Fielding  Smith  Richard  L.  Evans 

Harold  B.  Lee  George  Q.  Morris 

Spencer  W.  Kimball  Howard  W.  Hunter 

Ezra  Taft  Benson  Gordon  B.  Hinckley 
Mark  E.  Petersen 


26  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Friday,  April  6  First  Day 

Chancellor  of  the  Church  School  System 
Ernest  L.  Wilkinson 

Church  Finance  Committee 

Orval  W.  Adams 
Harold  H.  Bennett 
Wilford  G.  Edling 
Glenn  E.  Nielson 
Weston  E.  Hamilton 

Senior  Church  Auditors 

Harold  L.  Davis 
Charles  Schmidt 

CHURCH  WELFARE  COMMITTEE 

Advisers 

Harold  B.  Lee  John  Longden 

Debert  L.  Stapley  Henry  D.  Taylor 

Marion  G.  Romney  Antoine  R.  Ivins 

LeGrand  Richards  John  H.  Vandenberg 

Howard  W.  Hunter  Robert  L.  Simpson 

Alma  Sonne  Victor  L.  Brown 
El  Ray  L.  Christiansen 

and  the  General  Presidency  of  Relief  Society 
General  Church  Welfare  Committee 

Marion  G  Romney,  Chairman 
Henry  D.  Taylor,  Managing  Director 

Paul  C.  Child  Walter  Stover 

Mark  B.  Garff  A.  Lewis  Elggren 

William  T.  Lawrence  Donald  Ellsworth 

Lorenzo  H.  Hatch  Casper  H.  Parker 

Walter  Dansie  Alfred  B.  Smith 


LeRoy  A.  Wirthlin 


Tabernacle  Choir 


Lester  F.  Hewlett,  President 
Richard  P.  Condie,  Conductor 
Jay  E.  Welch,  Assistant  Conductor 
W.  Jack  Thomas,  Tour  Manager 

Organists 

Alexander  Schreiner 

Frank  W.  Asper 

Roy  M.  Darley,  Assistant 


President  Henry  D.  Moyle:  President  David  O.  McKay: 

President  McKay,  the  voting  seems  to  We  have  just  listened  to  a  report  from 

have  been  unanimous  in  all  instances  the    Clerk    of    the    Conference,    Elder 

in  the  affirmative.  Joseph  Anderson,  giving  vital  statistics; 


ELDER  HENRY  D.  TAYLOR 


27 


and  Elder  Orval  W.  Adams,  who  gave  the 
report  of  the  Church  Finance  Commit- 
tee; and  from  President  Henry  D.  Moyle, 
First  Counselor  in  the  First  Presidency, 
who  presented  the  General  Authorities, 
General  Officers,  and  General  Auxiliary 
Officers  of  the  Church  for  your  sustain- 
ing vote.  Thank  you,  brothers  and 
sisters,   for   this   manifestation   of  your 


cooperation  and  loyalty.  God  bless  you 
and  all  of  us,  as  we  go  forward  in  unity, 
devoting  ourselves  to  the  upbuilding  and 
success  of  The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ 
of  Latter-day  Saints. 

We  shall  now  hear  from  Elder  Henry 
D.  Taylor,  Assistant  to  the  Twelve.  He 
will  be  followed  by  Elder  Harold  B.  Lee 
of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve. 


ELDER  HENRY  D.  TAYLOR 

Assistant  to  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 


First,  I  express  my  sincere  gratitude  for 
the  goodness  of  our  Heavenly  Father  to 
me  and  my  family.  I  appreciate  my 
membership  in  this  wonderful  Church, 
and  bear  you  my  witness  that  it  is  the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ,  restored  in  these 
latter  days. 

Jesus  Christ,  the  Savior  of  the  world, 
is  the  only  perfect  person  who  has  lived 
here  upon  the  earth.  Everything  he 
did  had  purpose  and  was  necessary  and 
important.  His  marvelous  teachings  were 
and  always  will  be  the  beautiful  prin- 
ciples of  salvation,  and  throughout  his 
life  he  gave  emphasis  to  them  by  the 
example  he  set  for  the  whole  world. 

Peter,  who  was  very  close  to  the 
Savior  during  his  ministry,  once  said 
of  him:  ".  .  .  God  anointed  Jesus  of 
Nazareth  with  the  Holy  Ghost  and  with 
power:  who  went  about  doing  good,  and 
healing  all  that  were  oppressed  of  the 
devil;  for  God  was  with  him."  (Acts 
10:38.) 

As  Jesus  went  about  doing  good,  he 
healed  the  sick,  caused  the  lame  to  walk, 
the  blind  to  see,  and  the  deaf  to  hear. 
He  cleansed  the  lepers  and  cast  out  evil 
spirits.  He  raised  the  dead  and  gave 
comfort,  hope,  and  encouragement  to 
the  sorrowing.  He  inspired  the  trans- 
gressor to  forsake  unrighteous  ways.  He 
touched  the  hearts  of  people,  helping 
them  to  see  and  understand  the  value 
of  the  inner  life.  He  motivated  them 
to  noble  actions.  Because  of  his  teach- 
ings they  were  able  to  comprehend  in 
greater  measure  the  value  of  their  souls 
in  the  sight  of  God  the  Father.  He 
pointed  out  the  goodness  of  our  Heav- 
enly Father  to  them.  He  planted  in 
men's  souls  the  seeds  of  divine  love. 
Then  he  suffered  his  life  to  be  taken, 


that  we,  his  brothers  and  sisters,  might 
gain  salvation  and  eternal  life.  What 
a  wonderful  life  of  service;  of  doing 
good! 

In  his  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  the 
Savior  admonished  all  to  "Let  your  light 
so  shine  before  men,  that  they  may  see 
your  good  works,  and  glorify  your  Father 
which  is  in  heaven."  (Matt.  5:16.  Italics 
added.) 

As  members  of  the  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ,  "We  believe  in  being  honest, 
true,  chaste,  benevolent,  virtuous,  and 
in  doing  good  to  all  men."  (Thirteenth 
Article  of  Faith.)  These  are  principles 
by  which  we  should  live.  Someone  has 
said:  "He  who  does  good  is  of  God," 
and  an  ancient  prophet  once  gave  em- 
phasis to  this  thought  in  these  words: 
"Wherefore,  all  things  which  are  good 
cometh  of  God;  and  that  which  is  evil 
cometh  of  the  devil.  .  .  .  For  behold, 
the  Spirit  of  Christ  is  given  to  every 
man,  that  he  may  know  good  from 
evil;  ..."  (Moroni  7:12,16.) 

Living  the  gospel  principles  will  make 
men  progressively  better  and  instil  with- 
in them  a  desire  to  follow  the  Savior's 
wonderful  example  of  going  about  "do- 
ing good"  to  others.  President  McKay 
has  beautifully  pointed  out  this  great 
truth:  "The  gospel  .  .  .  will  change 
men's  lives  and  make  women  and  chil- 
dren better  than  they  have  ever  been 
before  .  .  .  that  is  the  mission  of  the 
gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  ...  to  make  evil- 
minded  men  good,  and  to  make  good 
men  better.  In  other  words,  to  change 
men's  lives,  to  change  human  nature." 

This  would  be  a  wonderful  world  in 
which  to  live  if  all  of  us  would  forget 
ourselves,  if  we  would  eliminate  selfish- 
ness from  our  lives  and  think  in  terms 


28 

Friday,  April  6 

of  the  good  we  could  do  in  serving 
others.  Unselfishness  contributes  to 
happiness.  How  true  is  the  statement 
that  "a  person  who  is  all  wrapped  up 
in  himself,  makes  a  pretty  small  and 
unattractive  package." 

We  find  in  life  what  we  look  for, 
and  what  we  find  becomes  part  of  us. 
How  commendable  it  would  be  if  we 
would  look  only  for  the  good  in  each 
other.  A  gifted  writer  has  suggested: 
"There  is  so  much  good  in  the  worst  of 
us,  and  so  much  bad  in  the  best  of  us, 
that  it  hardly  behooves  any  of  us  to 
talk  about  the  rest  of  us." 

President  Eisenhower  upon  one  occa- 
sion referred  to  an  individual  who 
sought  an  answer  to  the  following  ques- 
tion: "Wherein  lies  the  greatness  and 
genius  of  America?"  This  is  the  con- 
clusion reached  by  that  person:  "I 
sought  for  the  greatness  and  genius  of 
America  in  her  commodious  harbors  and 
her  ample  rivers  .  .  .  and  it  was  not 
there  ...  in  her  fertile  fields  and  bound- 
less forests  .  .  .  and  it  was  not  there  .  .  . 
in  her  rich  mines  and  her  vast  world  of 
commerce  .  .  .  and  it  was  not  there. 
Not  until  I  went  into  the  churches  of 
America  and  heard  her  pulpits  flame 
with  righteousness  did  I  understand  the 
secret  of  her  genius  and  power.  America 
is  great  because  she  is  good,  and  if 
America  ever  ceases  to  be  good,  America 
will  cease  to  be  great." 

The  same  thing  is  true  of  individuals. 
As  long  as  we  are  good,  we  are  truly 
great.  True  value  in  life  is  not  measured 
in  what  we  have,  but  in  what  we  do;  not 
in  what  people  think  and  do  for  us,  but 
by  what  we  think  and  do  for  people. 

The  Savior  gave  the  key  by  which 
we  may  achieve  greatness  in  the  words: 
".  .  .  he  that  is  greatest  among  you 
shall  be  your  servant."  (Matthew  23:11.) 

Being  a  servant  to  our  fellow  men 
and  performing  acts  of  goodness  to 
them  will  bring  an  inner  glow,  a  deep 
feeling  of  serenity,  contentment,  and 
satisfaction.  We  then  can  be  at  peace 
with  ourselves  and  with  the  world.  By 
doing   good  we  will  be  rewarded,  not 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


First  Day 

only  in  this  life,  but  in  the  life  to 
come.  We  have  been  promised  many 
blessings.  Listen  to  this  declaration  of 
our  Lord: 

"Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  The 
hour  is  coming,  and  now  is,  when  the 
dead  shall  hear  the  voice  of  the  Son  of 
God:  and  they  that  hear  shall  live.  .  .  . 

"Marvel  not  at  this:  for  the  hour  is 
coming,  in  the  which  all  that  are  in  the 
graves  shall  hear  his  voice, 

"And  shall  come  forth;  they  that  have 
done  good,  unto  the  resurrection  of  life; 
and  they  that  have  done  evil,  unto  the 
resurrection  of  damnation."  (John  5:25, 
28-29.) 

Every  day  as  we  go  about  our  tasks,  in 
our  homes,  among  our  friends,  our  asso- 
ciates, our  neighbors  and  families,  we  can 
do  good  even  in  small,  yet  nevertheless, 
important  ways.    This  we  can  do  by: 

A  warm  and  understanding  smile. 

A  firm  and  friendly  handclasp. 

A  cheery  greeting. 

A  word  of  encouragement,  commenda- 
tion, and  sincere  praise. 

Through  acts  of  thoughtfulness. 

By  lending  a  listening  and  sympa- 
thetic ear  to  all. 

By  the  sharing  of  ourselves  with  our 
fellow  men. 

By  gently  and  kindly  leading  those 
whose  lives  touch  ours  to  appreciate 
and  follow  the  Lord  and  his  way  of  life. 

My  dear  brothers  and  sisters,  in  these 
ways,  and  by  others  of  our  own  design- 
ing, we,  too,  like  our  Master,  can  "go 
about  doing  good,"  and  God  will  also 
be  with  us. 

That  we  may  do  so,  I  humbly  pray  in 
the  name  of  our  Lord  and  Savior  Jesus 
Christ.    Amen. 


President  David  O.  McKay: 

Elder  Henry  D.  Taylor,  Assistant  to 
the  Twelve,  has  just  spoken  to  us.  We 
shall  now  hear  from  Elder  Harold  B. 
Lee  of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve.  He 
will  be  followed  by  Elder  EIRay  L. 
Christiansen. 


29 


ELDER  HAROLD  B.  LEE 

Of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 


"Search  diligently,  pray  always,  and  be 
believing,  and  all  things  shall  work 
together  for  your  good,  if  ye  walk  up- 
rightly and  remember  the  covenant 
wherewith  ye  have  covenanted  one  with 
another."  (D&G  90:24.) 

This  quotation  was  from  one  of  the 
revelations  given  when  the  Church  was 
less  than  three  years  old,  given  in  March 
1833,  which  means  that  at  that  time 
there  were  no  members  who  had  been 
members  of  the  Church  more  than  three 
years.  Their  enemies  from  without  were 
bringing  persecution  upon  all  who  pro- 
fessed to  be  members  of  the  Church  of 
Jesus  Christ.  Under  withering  and 
merciless  persecution,  they  were  seeing 
in  our  day  an  interpretation  of  the 
Master's  interpretation  of  the  parable 
of  the  sowers.  Some  of  the  new  mem- 
bers "brought  forth  only  thirtyfold;  some 
brought  forth  sixtyfold;  and  a  small  per- 
centage only,  an  hundredfold." 

With  little  or  no  experience  in  Church 
administration  among  the  Church  lead- 
ers at  that  time,  there  was  occasionally 
confusion  and  disunity,  and  the  imma- 
turity of  the  Church  members  was 
evidenced  in  quarrelings  and  bickerings 
and  factional  disputes,  and  there  was  a 
spirit  of  apostasy  in  various  places, 
which  threatened  at  times  to  destroy 
the  very  structure  of  the  Church. 

It  was  important,  then,  that  the  Lord 
should  send  this  important  warning  and 
instruction  that  they  should  search 
diligently,  pray  always,  and  be  believ- 
ing, so  that  all  things  would  work  to 
their  good.  Diligence  means  to  be 
industrious,  the  opposite  of  being  lazy 
or  careless  or  indifferent.  In  other  words, 
they  must  search  to  know  the  doctrines 
of  the  Church,  and  they  must  search 
to  know  the  instructions  that  had  been 
given  concerning  Church  procedures. 
They  were  to  pray  always.  Our  mis- 
sionaries after  over  a  hundred  years  of 
experience  have  learned  that  no  one  is 
truly  converted  until  he  prays  on  his 
knees  to  know  that  Joseph  Smith  is  a 
prophet  of  God  and  that  the  Church 
is  indeed  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  on 
earth.    And  the  four  essentials  that  the 


missionaries  teach  to  one  who  has  never 
prayed  before  are:  he  first  must  thank; 
he  next  must  ask;  he  must  do  it  in  the 
name  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  then  Amen. 
And  with  that  simple  instruction  the 
beginning  inquirer  after  truth  is  taught 
to  pray.  In  praying,  he  is  enjoined 
as  the  father  said  to  his  son,  after  lis- 
tening to  his  son's  prayers,  "Son,  don't 
give  the  Lord  instructions.  You  just 
report  for  duty." 

It  is  a  wonderful  thing  for  us  in  our 
younger  years  to  remember  what  old 
age  brings.  Chauncey  Depew,  who  as 
a  United  States  Congressman  on  his 
ninetieth  birthday  was  asked  about  his 
philosophy  of  life.  He  replied  that 
when  he  was  a  young  man  his  greatest 
ambition  had  been  to  display  his  intel- 
ligence, but  the  older  he  grew  the 
greater  was  his  anxiety  to  conceal  his 
ignorance.  It  was  indeed  the  beginning 
of  learning  when  as  Moses  said,  after 
the  great  and  soul-stirring  revelation  of 
the  personality  of  God,  "Now  for  this 
cause  I  know  that  man  is  nothing,  which 
thing  I  had  never  supposed."  (Moses 
1:10.)  That  was  in  the  beginning  of 
his  wisdom. 

To  be  believing  means,  first  to  obtain 
a  testimony  and  then  strive  to  retain 
it.  The  testing  must  precede  the  testi- 
mony, for  they  will  "receive  no  wit- 
ness until  after  the  trial  of  their 
faith."  As  the  Master  had  said,  ".  .  . 
that  which  is  born  of  the  Spirit  is 
spirit. 

"The  wind  bloweth  where  it  listeth, 
and  thou  hearest  the  sound  thereof,  but 
thou  canst  not  tell  whence  it  cometh, 
and  whither  it  goeth:  so  is  every  one  that 
is  born  of  the  Spirit."  (John  3:6,  8.) 

The  power  of  the  Spirit  was  more 
definitely  defined  in  an  early  revela- 
tion to  these  new  Saints  when  the  Lord 
said:  "...  I  say  unto  you,  that  assuredly 
as  the  Lord  liveth,  who  is  your  God 
and  your  Redeemer,  even  so  surely  shall 
you  receive.  .  .  . 

"Yea,  behold,  I  will  tell  you  in 
your  mind  and  in  your  heart,  by  the 
Holy   Ghost,   which  shall    come   upon 


30 

Friday,  April  6 

you  and  which  shall  dwell  in  your 
heart."  (D&C  8:1-2.) 

Now  then,  he  said  further,  that  if  they 
would  walk  uprightly  and  remember 
their  covenant,  then  they  would  have 
all  things  which  would  work  to  their 
good.  To  walk  uprightly  means  to  be 
morally  correct,  to  be  honest,  to  be  just, 
to  be  honorable.  As  the  Lord  told  Enos, 
the  grandson  of  Lehi,  "I  will  visit  thy 
brethren  according  to  their  diligence  in 
keeping  my  commandments,"  (Enos 
1:10)  which  was  repeated  in  substance 
when  the  Lord  revealed  this  great  truth: 
"I,  the  Lord,  am  bound  when  ye  do 
what  I  say;  but  when  ye  do  not  what  I 
say  ye  have  no  promise."  (D&C  82:10.) 

We  heard  an  excellent  discourse  this 
morning  on  the  meaning  of  a  covenant 
as  it  pertained  to  the  priesthood.  The 
nature  of  the  covenant  that  we  enter 
into  when  we  became  members  of  the 
Church  was  fully  explained  when  the 
Lord  said:  "And  again,  by  way  of  com- 
mandment to  the  Church  concerning  the 
manner  of  baptism — All  those  who 
humble  themselves  before  God,  and  de- 
sire to  be  baptized,  and  come  forth  with 
broken  hearts  and  contrite  spirits,  and 
witness  before  the  church  that  they 
have  truly  repented  of  all  their  sins,  and 
are  willing  to  take  upon  them  the  name 
of  Jesus  Christ,  having  a  determination 
to  serve  him  to  the  end,  and  truly  mani- 
fest by  their  works  that  they  have  re- 
ceived of  the  Spirit  of  Christ  unto  the 
remission  of  their  sins,  shall  be  received 
by  baptism  into  his  church."  (Ibid., 
20:37.) 

The  people  in  the  Book  of  Mormon 
days  were  instructed  with  a  similar  ex- 
planation. "And  now  I  speak,"  Moroni 
said,  "concerning  baptism.  Behold,  elders, 
priests,  and  teachers  were  baptized;  and 
they  were  not  baptized  save  they  brought 
forth  fruit  meet  that  they  were  worthy 
of  it. 

"Neither  did  they  receive  any  unto 
baptism  save  they  came  forth  with  a 
broken  heart  and  a  contrite  spirit,  and 
witnessed  unto  the  church  that  they 
truly  repented  of  all  their  sins." 
(Moroni  6:1-2.) 

King  Benjamin  explained  it  this  way: 
"And  now,  because  of  the  covenant 
which  ye  have  made  ye  shall  be  called 
the  children  of  Christ,  his  sons,  and  his 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


First  Day 

daughters;  for  behold,  this  day  he  hath 
spiritually  begotten  you;  for  ye  say  that 
your  hearts  are  changed  through  faith 
on  his  name;  therefore,  ye  are  born  of 
him  and  have  become  his  sons  and  his 
daughters."  (Mosiah  5:7.) 

Others  of  the  prophets  asked  this 
soul-searching  question  of  those  who 
were  candidates  for  baptism,  "Are  you 
willing  to  stand  as  witnesses  of  God  at 
all  times  and  in  all  things,  and  in  all 
places  that  you  might  be  in,  even  until 
death?"  (See  Ibid.,  18:9.)  To  the  first 
one  of  those  who  was  baptized,  the 
prophet  who  officiated  said  as  he  was  di- 
rected under  inspiration,  ".  .  .  Helam,  I 
baptize  thee,  having  authority  from  the 
Almighty  God,  as  a  testimony  that  ye 
have  entered  into  a  covenant  to  serve 
him  until  you  are  dead  as  to  the  mortal 
body;  and  may  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  be 
poured  out  upon  you;  and  may  he  grant 
unto  you  eternal  life,  through  the  re- 
demption of  Christ,  whom  he  has  pre- 
pared from  the  foundation  of  the 
world."  (Ibid.,  18:13.) 

Never  was  there  a  time  when  Church 
members  generally,  and  newly  baptized 
converts,  particularly,  throughout  the 
stakes  and  missions  needed  more  to  be 
reminded  of  the  Lord's  admonition  that 
they  should  "Search  diligently,  and  pray 
always,  and  be  believing  that  all  things 
should  work  to  their  good  if  they  would 
walk  uprightly  and  remember  the  cove- 
nant wherewith  they  had  covenanted 
one  with  another,"  as  the  scriptures  I 
have  referred  to  have  so  well  explained. 
(See  D&C  90:24.) 

Thousands  of  new  members  have 
built  upon  the  foundation  of  their  faith 
at  the  time  of  their  baptism,  but  there 
are  wolves  in  sheep's  clothing  among 
them.  Older  members  by  bad  example 
could  "wound  their  weak  conscience 
and  make  their  weaker  brethren  to 
offend."  (See  I  Cor.  8:11-13.)  Dissen- 
sion and  confusion  could  result  from 
lack  of  experience,  and  the  tide  of  perse- 
cution from  the  outside  could  roll  in 
upon  them  and  engulf  them  in  a  flood 
of  apostasy  unless  they  heed  the  Lord's 
warnings. 

I  was  down  in  Australia  nearly  a  year 
ago,  and  after  I  had  spent  a  long 
evening  instructing  the  stake  leaders  in 
their  duties,  one  of  the  brethren  raised 


ELDER  HAROLD  B.  LEE 


31 


his  hand  and  said,  "Now,  Brother  Lee, 
you  have  spent  the  evening  telling  us 
what  to  do.  Now  answer  us  one  more 
question.  Just  how  do  we  obtain  the 
spiritual  power  necessary  for  us  to  lead 
this  people  and  to  instruct  them?"  And 
I  have  been  trying  to  answer  that  ques- 
tion ever  since  he  asked  it.  Perhaps  a 
few  illustrations  will  serve  to  suggest 
the  answer: 

I  received  a  letter  recently  from  a 
patriarch  who  had  been  instructed  that 
what  he  should  speak  in  blessings  upon 
the  people  should  be  that  which  the 
Lord  inspired  and  not  of  himself.  In 
the  struggle  which  followed  his  ordina- 
tion he  sought  to  know  how  he  could 
distinguish  between  what  the  Lord  in- 
spired and  that  which  was  just  his  own 
thinking.  He  remembered,  he  said, 
what  the  Lord  admonished  in  an  early 
revelation  to  Joseph  Smith  and  Oliver 
Cowdery:  ".  .  .  you  cannot  write" 
(which  to  him  meant  you  cannot  say) 
"that  which  is  sacred  save  it  be  given 
you  from  me."  (D&C  9:9.) 

"So  my  personal  problem  finally  was 
resolved,"  he  wrote  me,  "by  making  this 
conclusion:  You  have  been  called  and 
ordained  to  this  work  by  an  authorized 
servant  of  the  Lord.  You  have  the  au- 
thority to  proceed.  You  must  live  as 
closely  to  the  Lord  as  you  know  how. 
You  must  constantly  seek  and  pray  for 
guidance  and  inspiration,  then  perform 
your  duties  in  humility  and  rest  con- 
tent in  the  knowledge  that  you  have 
done  all  you  could,  and  in  the  firm 
Belief  that  what  you  have  said  in  giving 
blessings  was  indeed  inspired." 

The  Lord's  formula  for  new  and  un- 
tried leaders  was  this: 

"Again  I  say  unto  you,  that  it  shall 
not  be  given  to  any  one  to  go  forth  to 
preach  my  gospel,  or  to  build  up  my 
church,  except  he  be  ordained  by  some 
one  who  has  authority,  and  it  is  known 
to  the  church  that  he  has  authority  and 
has  been  regularly  ordained  by  the 
heads  of  the  church. 

"And  again,  the  elders,  priests  and 
teachers  of  this  church  shall  teach  the 
principles  of  my  gospel,  which  are  in 
the  Bible  and  the  Book  of  Mormon,  in 
the  which  is  the  fulness  of  the  gospel. 

"And  they  shall  observe  the  covenants 
and   church   articles  to   do   them,   and 


these  shall  be  their  teachings,  as  they 
shall  be  directed  by  the  Spirit. 

"And  the  Spirit  shall  be  given  unto 
you  by  the  prayer  of  faith;  and  if  ye 
receive  not  the  Spirit  ye  shall  not  teach." 
(D&C  42:11-14.) 

Summarized  this  meant  that  there 
were  four  essentials  for  service  in  the 
kingdom  of  God.  ( 1 )  They  must  be  or- 
dained, (2)  they  must  teach  from  the 
standard  Church  works,  (3)  they  must 
live  as  they  preached,  (4)  they  must 
teach  by  the  Spirit.  ".  .  .  when  a  man 
speaketh  by  the  power  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost  car- 
rieth  it  unto  the  hearts  of  the  children 
of  men."  (2  Nephi  33:1.) 

Well,  so  the  Lord  has  told  us  in  plain 
language  how  his  servants  could  be 
inspired.  It  was  as  Alma  observed  in 
the  sons  of  Mosiah  who  were  great  and 
successful  missionaries.  "They  were 
strong  in  a  knowledge  of  the  truth."  They 
were  sound  in  understanding.  They  fasted 
and  prayed  often,  and  they  cultivated 
"the  spirit  of  prophecy  and  the  spirit  of 
revelation,"  so  that  "when  they  taught 
they  taught  with  power  and  authority 
of  God."  (Alma  17:1-3.) 

I  met  a  man  in  his  late  seventies 
down  in  Brisbane,  Australia,  who  said 
that  all  his  lifetime  he  had  been  search- 
ing for  a  church  that  could  answer 
satisfactorily  his  question,  "Are  God  and 
his  Son,  the  Savior  of  the  world,  living 
with  your  church  today?"  And  always 
the  answer  to  his  question  was  negative. 
"The  scriptures  are  closed,"  they  said. 
"There  is  no  prophet  through  whom  the 
Lord  speaks  today.  God  does  not  reveal 
himself  to  man." 

He  was  convalescing  from  a  painful 
accident  when  two  young  men — mission- 
aries of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter-day  Saints — called.  In  their  open- 
ing testimony,  they  bore  witness  that 
the  Lord  had  appeared  with  his  Heav- 
enly Father  to  Joseph  Smith,  and  in 
answer  to  his  question  as  to  which 
church  they  should  join,  he  was  told  to 
join  none  of  them,  for  they  were  all 
wrong,  ".  .  .  they  draw  near  to  me  with 
their  lips,  but  their  hearts  are  far  from 
me,  they  teach  for  doctrines  the  com- 
mandments of  men,  having  a  form  of 
godliness,  but  they  deny  the  power 
thereof."  (See  Joseph  Smith  2:19.) 


32 

Friday,  April  6 

Here  was  the  answer  he  had  been 
seeking,  and  the  Spirit  bore  witness  that 
this  was  in  truth  the  true  Church  of 
Jesus  Christ,  with  which  the  Father  and 
the  Son  were  living  today. 

Brigham  Young,  in  speaking  about  the 
same  thing,  said,  "If  all  the  talent,  tact, 
wisdom,  and  refinement  of  the  world 
had  been  sent  to  me  with  the  Book  of 
Mormon  and  had  declared  in  the  most 
exalted  eloquence  the  truth  of  it,  under- 
taking to  prove  it  by  learning  and  world- 
ly wisdom,  they  would  have  been  to 
me  like  the  smoke  which  rises  only  to 
vanish  away.  But  when  I  saw  a  man 
without  eloquence  or  talent  for  public 
speaking  who  could  say,  'I  know  by  the 
power  of  the  Holy  Ghost  that  the  Book 
of  Mormon  is  true,  that  Joseph  Smith  is 
a  prophet  of  the  Lord,'  and  the  Holy 
Ghost  preceding  from  that  individual, 
illuminated  my  understanding,  and  light, 
glory,  and  immortality  were  before  me.  I 
was  encircled  by  them,  filled  with  them, 
and  I  knew  for  myself  that  their  testi- 
mony was  true."  (/  of  D,  Vol.  1,  p.  90.) 

We  must  teach  with  that  in  mind.  If 
the  Holy  Ghost  does  not  bear  witness 
to  the  things  we  say,  we  cannot  and  we 
will  not  be  successful  in  our  missionary 
work. 

I  heard  a  missionary  telling  about 
President  McKay's  visit  to  Glasgow 
when  a  young  reporter  looked  him  in 
the  face  and  asked  of  President  McKay, 
"Are  you  a  prophet  of  God?"  And  the 
young  man  said  President  McKay  looked 
at   the   reporter   and   replied:     "Young 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


First  Day 

man,  you  look  me  in  the  eye  and  answer 
your  own  question."  This  young  man 
in  telling  me  the  story  said,  "I  looked 
President  McKay  in  the  eye,  and  I  re- 
ceived my  answer  and  my  witness  that 
he  is  in  truth  a  prophet  of  the  Living 
God,"  to  which  I  also  bear  humble 
testimony  in  the  name  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ. 

"Except  the  Lord  build  the  house, 
they  labour  in  vain  that  build  it." 
(Psalm  127:1.) 

Today  the  servants,  many  unschooled 
and  inexperienced  like  the  disciples  of 
old,  must  "go  forth" — "the  Lord  working 
with  them,  and  confirming  the  word 
with  the  signs  following."  (See  Mark 
16:20.) 

Except  we  do  walk  uprightly  and 
remember  our  covenants  and  have  an 
unshakable  testimony  of  the  divinity  of 
this  Church;  in  the  language  of  an 
eminent  businessman  and  financier,  the 
various  activities  of  the  Church  would 
be  but  a  shambles. 

May  the  Lord  help  us  to  search  dili- 
gently and  walk  uprightly  and  remem- 
ber the  covenant  wherewith  we  have 
covenanted  one  with  another,  I  pray 
humbly,  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ. 
Amen. 

President  David  O.  McKay: 

Elder  Harold  B.  Lee  of  the  Council 
of  the  Twelve  has  just  spoken.  Elder 
EIRay  L.  Christiansen  will  be  our  next 
speaker. 


ELDER  ELRAY  L.  CHRISTIANSEN 

Assistant  to  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 


My  brothers  and  sisters,  as  I  sought  to 
determine  what  I  might  appropriately 
speak  about  at  this  time,  my  mind 
seemed  to  be  driven  and  impelled  to 
speak  on  a  commandment  which  God 
gave  to  the  children  of  Israel  a  long, 
long  time  ago.  I  humbly  pray  that  I 
may  say  something  on  this  topic  that 
will  be  encouraging  to  all  of  us. 

When  the  Lord  created  the  earth  as 
an  abode  for  his  children,  he  placed 
upon  it  all  the  necessary  essentials  for 
their  physical  needs — the  light  and  the 
warmth   of   the   sun,   the   seasons,   the 


fertile  soil  from  which  to  obtain  food 
and  raiment  and  shelter,  and  at  the 
same  time  and  with  equal  concern,  he 
made  provision  for  the  spiritual  needs 
of  his  children  and  for  the  development 
of  man.  Among  the  provisions  made 
for  man's  spiritual  goal  was  the  gift  of 
the  Sabbath  day,  for  he  said  to  Moses, 
".  .  .  for  .  .  .  the  Lord  hath  given  you 
the  sabbath."  (Exodus  16:29.)  Three 
thousand  years  ago  this  commandment 
was  given  to  the  children  of  Israel: 
"Remember  the  sabbath  day,  to  keep 
it  holy. 


ELDER  ELRAY  L.  CHRISTIANSEN 


33 


"Six  days  shah  thou  labour,  and  do 
all  thy  work: 

"But  the  seventh  day  is  the  sabbath 
of  the  Lord  thy  God.  .  .  . 

".  .  .  wherefore  the  Lord  blessed  the 
sabbath  day,  and  hallowed  it."  (Ibid., 
20:8-11.) 

In  modern  revelation  he  has  com- 
manded the  Saints  to  observe  his  holy 
day  by  attending  their  meetings,  offer- 
ing their  oblations  before  the  Lord,  and 
as  they  partake  of  the  Sacrament  to 
make  covenant  with  him  that  they  will 
take  upon  them  his  name  and  keep  his 
commandments.  The  reason  for  these 
requirements  made  by  the  Lord  is  plainly 
stated  in  the  revelation  in  these  words: 
".  .  .  that  thou  mayest  more  fully  keep 
thyself  unspotted  from  the  world,  .  .  ." 
(D&C  59:9.) 

The  laws  and  the  commandments 
of  God  are  given  to  us,  not  to  deny 
us  the  right  to  do  what  we  are  wont  to 
do,  but  rather  to  provide  us  with  a  sure 
way  to  obtain  peace  and  happiness  and 
success,  "For,"  according  to  the  book  of 
Proverbs,  ".  .  .  the  commandment  is  a 
lamp;  and  the  law  is  light;  and  re- 
proofs of  instruction  are  the  way  of 
life:"  (Proverbs  6:23.) 

Accompanying  each  commandment  is 
the  promise  of  a  blessing,  either  speci- 
fied or  implied.  What  is  the  promise 
made  to  those  who  observe  the  Sabbath 
day?  The  Lord  declares  that  inasmuch 
as  they  do  this  with  cheerful  hearts 
and  countenances,  the  fulness  of  the 
earth  is  theirs — all  things  that  are  made 
for  the  benefit  and  use  of  man  to  please 
the  eye  and  to  gladden  the  heart  and 
to  strengthen  the  body  and  give  peace 
to  the  soul. 

There  was  a  time  in  my  day  when 
it  seemed  to  me  that  almost  all  people, 
at  least  those  with  whom  I  was  ac- 
quainted, considered  the  Sabbath  day 
as  a  holy  day,  a  day  entirely  different 
from  the  other  days.  But  too  often  now 
it  seems  that  we  consider  it  just  a  part 
of  the  weekend,  and  thus  many  people 
do  not  look  upon  it  as  a  holy  day. 

We  must  not  permit  ourselves  to  think 
of  the  Sabbath  day  as  a  day  on  which  to 
transact  business  of  any  kind.  We  must 
not  think  of  the  Sabbath  day  as  a  day 
on  which  to  catch  up  with  our  work. 
We  must  not  permit  ourselves  to  use  the 
Sabbath  for  amusements  or  for  outings 


or  for  participating  in  or  attending  sport- 
ing events  as  such. 

The  devil  is  not  satisfied  with  just  a 
little  wrongdoing.  He  follows  through 
and  persists  in  gaining  his  ends  by  hav- 
ing us  think  that  it  is  all  right  to  sin 
a  little.  But  he  knows  very  well  that 
a  little  sin  seldom  stays  little.  In  the 
words  of  Nephi:  ".  .  .  thus  the  devil 
cheateth  their  souls,  and  leadeth  them 
carefully  down  to  hell."  (2  Nephi 
28:21.) 

On  a  number  of  occasions  when  I 
have  been  returning  from  conferences, 
I  have  met  on  the  highway  a  great 
number  of  automobiles.  In  many  of 
these  were  families  apparently  returning 
to  their  homes  on  the  early  Sunday 
evening.  Attached  to  a  good  number 
of  these  cars  were  beautiful  boats.  Now, 
ordinarily,  we  do  not  take  boats  to 
church,  so  one  must  conclude  that  these 
fine  people  had  not  been  to  church, 
nor  were  they  on  their  way  to  church. 
I  wonder  if  it  is  wise — well,  I  can  say 
positively — it  is  not  wise  for  parents  to 
take  their  children  away  from  their  ap- 
pointed places  of  worship  on  the  Sabbath 
day  where  they  may  learn  the  gospel 
and  where  they  may  become  fortified 
to  face  life  through  increased  faith, 
trust,  and  confidence  in  the  Lord,  and 
require  their  children  to  go  with  them 
on  the  Sabbath  day  to  spend  the  day 
on  the  reservoir  or  at  some  other  place 
of  amusement.  Such  practices  may 
seriously  impair  and  affect  the  lives  of 
these  children  and  perhaps  the  lives  of 
their  children.  In  fairness  to  our  chil- 
dren and  to  ourselves,  we  must  go  to 
the  "house  of  prayer"  on  his  holy  day 
as  the  commandment  requires. 

An  acquaintance  of  mine  had  pur- 
chased a  lovely  boat  and  had  just  fin- 
ished varnishing  it  and  painting  it. 
When  I  stopped  by,  he  was  admiring 
it.  I  surmised  that  he  was  getting  it 
ready  to  take  it,  with  his  family,  to  the 
reservoir  the  next  Sunday.  He  said, 
"It  is  complete  and  in  readiness  except 
for  one  thing."  Then  he  asked  me, 
"Could  you  suggest  an  appropriate  name 
"for  the  boat?"  I  knew  him  very  well. 
I  thought  for  a  moment,  and  then  I 
said,  "Well,  perhaps  you  should  name 
it  The  Sabbath-Breaker."  He  looked  at 
me,  and  he  understood. 

A  father  was  speaking  to  a  gathering 


34 

Friday,  April  6 

in  connection  with  one  of  the  stake 
conferences  in  Wyoming,  which  I  at- 
tended. This  man  had,  for  sometime, 
taken  his  family  away  from  home  on 
the  Sabbath.  When  they  were  return- 
ing from  one  trip  on  a  Sunday  evening, 
one  of  his  little  girls  in  a  thoughtful 
mood,  said  to  him,  "Daddy,  when  can 
we  stay  home  on  Sunday  with  our 
friends  and  go  to  Sunday  School  and 
Sacrament  meeting?"  The  father,  sud- 
denly realizing  what  he  was  doing  to 
his  children,  replied  with  determination, 
"Honey,  we  will  stay  home  next  Sun- 
day and  every  other  Sunday,  and  we 
will  go  to  church,  all  five  of  us." 

I  regret  that  I  do  not  know  who  com- 
posed these  lines: 

"A  Sabbath  well  spent  brings  a  week 

of  content 
And  help  for  the  cares  of  tomorrow. 
But  a  Sabbath  profaned,  whatever  the 

gain, 
Is  a  sure  forerunner  of  sorrow." 

What  regret  there  will  be  for  those  of 
us  who  knowingly  ignore  this  benefi- 
cent law  of  the  sacred  Sabbath.  Some 
of  us  may  live  to  realize  the  fact  that 
the  Sabbath  profaned,  whatever  be 
gained,  is  a  sure  forerunner  of  sorrow. 

With  joy  we  ought  to  sing  the  song, 
"Welcome,  welcome,  Sabbath  morning, 
Now  we  rest  from  every  care. 
Welcome,  welcome,  is  thy  dawning, 
Holy  Sabbath,  day  of  prayer." 

My  brothers  and  sisters,  it  is  well  that 
we  pray  to  the  Lord  that  among  na- 
tions peace  may  be  maintained,  but  I 
know  and  you  know  that  we  must,  as 
individuals,  add  to  our  prayers  obedi- 
ence to  the  commandments  if  our  sup- 
plications are  to  be  efficacious.  "Ye  shall 
keep  my  sabbaths,  and  reverence  my 
sanctuary:  I  am  the  Lord. 

"If  ye  walk  in  my  statutes,  and  keep 
my  commandments,  and  do  them; 

"...  I  will  give  peace  in  the  land, 
and  ye  shall  lie  down,  and  none  shall 
make  you  afraid:  .  .  ."  (Leviticus  26:2- 
3,6.) 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


First  Day 

Must  we  not  learn  that  the  blessings 
of  peace  and  all  other  blessings  we  seek 
from  God  come  through  observing  the 
laws  set  forth  in  his  commandments? 
This  is  made  plain  in  the  Doctrine  and 
Covenants  in  these  words  which  are 
familiar:  "There  is  a  law,  irrevocably 
decreed  in  heaven  before  the  founda- 
tions of  this  world,  upon  which  all 
blessings  are  predicated — 

"And  when  we  obtain  any  blessing 
from  God,  it  is  by  obedience  to  that 
law  upon  which  it  is  predicated."  (D&C 
130:20-21.) 

As  he  stood  upon  the  deck  of  the 
battleship  Missouri  in  Yokohama  Bay, 
when  Japan  surrendered,  General  Doug- 
las MacArthur  made  this  significant 
declaration:  "If  we  do  not  devise  some 
greater  and  equitable  system,  Armaged- 
don will  be  upon  us.  The  problem  is 
basically  theological  and  involves  a 
spiritual  renaissance  and  character.  It 
must  be  of  the  spirit  if  we  are  to  save 
the  flesh." 

That  each  of  us  help  to  bring  about 
this  spiritual  renaissance  by  making  sure 
that  we  and  ours  keep  holy  the  Sabbath 
day,  I  pray  humbly,  in  the  name  of 
Jesus  Christ.     Amen. 

President  David  O.  McKay: 

Elder  EIRay  L.  Christiansen,  Assistant 
to  the  Twelve,  has  just  spoken  to  us. 
The  Choir  and  Congregation  will  now 
join  in  singing,  "Praise  To  The  Man 
Who  Communed  With  Jehovah,"  and 
the  congregation  includes  you  who  are 
listening  in. 

The  Brigham  Young  University  Com- 
bined Choruses  and  the  Congregation 
joined  in  singing  the  hymn,  "Praise  To 
The  Man  Who  Communed  With 
Jehovah." 

President  David  O.  McKay: 

Elder  Alma  Sonne  will  be  our  next 
speaker.  He  will  be  followed  by  Elder 
William  J.  Critchlow,  Jr. 


35 


ELDER  ALMA  SONNE 

Assistant  to  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 


Thank  you,  brethren  and  sisters,  for 
singing  that  good  hymn  so  well.  ["Praise 
to  the  Man."]  It  is  always  full  of 
inspiration,  especially  when  it  is  sung 
by  so  many  as  are  present  here  this 
afternoon. 

I  would  like  to  say  a  word  about  our 
missionaries — past  and  present — the  men 
and  the  women  who  have  kept  alive  the 
memory  of  the  Lord  Jesus  and  the  gospel 
of  Jesus  Christ  in  the  hearts  of  men. 
The  missionary  spirit  is  resting  upon  the 
Church.  I  believe  it  has  rested  upon 
the  Church  since  its  beginning.  It  is 
reflected  in  the  messages  which  we  have 
heard  today.  You  are  aware  that  there 
is  a  struggle  going  on  in  the  world  for 
the  hearts  and  minds  of  the  people. 
The  enemies  of  truth  and  freedom  are 
exerting  themselves  as  never  before  to 
destroy  moral  and  spiritual  values. 

The  battle  is  being  waged  with  re- 
lentless and  determined  vigor.  The  ad- 
versary is  alert  and  active,  and  the 
powers  of  darkness  are  pressing  forward 
at  home  and  abroad. 

The  Apostle  Paul  recognized  that 
power  when  he  said,  "For  the  mystery 
of  iniquity  doth  already  work."  (2  Thess. 
2:7.)  It  is  at  work  in  our  schools,  in 
the  colleges,  in  the  universities,  in  the 
newspapers,  in  the  books,  in  the  maga- 
zines, on  the  television,  and  in  the 
picture  halls. 

To  counteract  these  unholy  influences 
the  Church  is  sending  into  the  world 
thousands  of  missionaries  to  proclaim 
the  restored  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ.  It 
is  the  only  weapon,  my  brethren  and 
sisters,  that  will  eventually  crush  and 
destroy  the  evil  designs  and  bring  to 
naught  the  devious  plans  of  unscrupu- 
lous, untrustworthy,  and  godless  leaders 
of  men.  Missionary  service  is  the  life, 
the  vitality,  and  the  obligation  of  the 
Church.  Jesus  commanded  his  servants, 
whom  he  called  and  commissioned,  to 
go  into  all  the  world  and  preach  the 
gospel  to  every  creature  and  to  every 
nation,  and  tongue,  and  people. 

In  doing  this  he  launched  the  great- 
est program  of  all  time.  It  is  not  yet 
finished,  nor  will  it  be  finished  until 
every  knee  shall  bow  and  every  tongue 


confess  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ.  These 
servants,  although  few  in  number,  re- 
sponded with  remarkable  success.  Under 
the  guidance  and  inspiration  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  they  went  forth  and  appeared 
openly  in  the  streets,  in  the  synagogues, 
and  even  in  the  temple  courts  in  Jeru- 
salem. They  spoke  with  great  boldness 
to  the  public  officials,  to  the  magis- 
trates, and  to  the  rabble  in  crowded 
places  where  mobs  are  wont  to  congre- 
gate. The  gospel  was  for  everyone — 
rich  and  poor,  high  and  low,  slave  and 
aristocrat — for  God  is  no  respecter  of 
persons. 

It  was  not  the  gospel  submitted  by 
Matthew,  Mark,  Luke,  and  John  which 
first  drew  attention  to  the  Christ,  for 
gospel  teaching  had  already  taken  hold 
upon  the  world  before  the  four  gospels 
were  generally  known.  Then  as  now  it 
required  the  energy  of  individuals,  per- 
sonal contacts,  patience,  diligence,  love, 
and  the  inspiration  and  enthusiasm  of 
devoted  missionaries  to  plant  the  gospel 
message  in  the  hearts  and  lives  of 
people. 

The  missionary  method  of  the  Church 
today  is  almost  identical  with  that 
carried  on  by  Jesus  Christ  and  his  apos- 
tles nineteen  hundred  years  ago.  It  has 
been  similarly  successful.  The  work 
was  neither  professionalized  nor  com- 
mercialized. You  will  recall  these  hum- 
ble emissaries  of  the  Lord  were  to  go 
forth  two  by  two.  One  was  to  be  the 
support  of  the  other.  They  were  to  be 
witnesses  before  God  of  their  respective 
testimonies.  Together  they  could  better 
face  hostile  receptions  and  bitter  opposi- 
tion. Together  they  could  preserve  their 
faith  and  their  enthusiasm  and  with- 
stand temptation  and  wrongdoing.  It 
was  God's  plan  of  proselyting,  and  it 
was  very  effective. 

I  know  most  of  you  here  have  read 
the  Lord's  instructions  to  his  servants 
whom  he  sent  forth.  "Provide  neither 
gold,  nor  silver,  nor  brass  in  your 
purses, 

"Nor  scrip  for  your  journey,  neither 
two  coats,  neither  shoes  nor  yet 
staves:  .  .  . 


36 

Friday,  April  6 

"Behold,  I  send  you  forth  as  sheep  in 
the  midst  of  wolves: 

".  .  .  beware  of  men:  for  they  will 
deliver  you  up  to  the  councils,  and  they 
will  scourge  you  in  their  synagogues; 

"And  ye  shall  be  brought  before  gov- 
ernors and  kings  for  my  sake,  .  .  ." 
(Matt.  10:9-10,  16-18.) 

If  you  are  familiar  with  the  story  and 
life  of  Jesus,  you  will  know  that  proph- 
ecy came  true  in  the  minutest  detail. 
He  said  further,  "He  that  loveth  father 
and  mother  more  than  me  is  not  worthy 
of  me:  and  he  that  loveth  son  or  daugh- 
ter more  than  me  is  not  worthy  of  me. 

"And  he  that  taketh  not  his  cross,  and 
followeth  after  me  is  not  worthy  of 
me."  (Ibid.,  10:37-38.) 

Then  he  admonished  them,  "And  as 
you  go,  preach,  saying,  The  kingdom  of 
heaven  is  at  hand. 

"Heal  the  sick,  cleanse  the  lepers, 
raise  the  dead,  cast  out  devils:  freely  ye 
have  received,  freely  give."  (Ibid.,  10:7- 
8.)  And  you  will  see  there  was  to  be 
no  interference  and  nothing  was  to 
supersede  the  solemn,  almost  drastic, 
injunction  of  the  Savior  to  these  won- 
derful men.  No  halfhearted  effort  was 
acceptable.  The  work  to  be  done  was 
important  and  required  every  sacrifice, 
if  necessary,  even  life  itself.  It  must 
have  required  great  courage  for  these 
young  humble,  unsophisticated  men  to 
preach  Jesus  crucified  and  resurrected, 
and  to  preach  the  Fatherhood  of  God 
and  the  brotherhood  of  man,  and  to 
teach  the  children  of  God  to  be  perfect, 
even  as  their  Father  in  heaven  is  perfect. 

Some  men  stand  in  terror  of  public 
opinion.  Not  so  with  the  disciples  of 
Jesus.  They  were  unafraid.  From  such 
teaching   over   the   centuries   came   our 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


First  Day 

Declaration  of  Independence,  setting 
forth  the  doctrine  of  equal  rights.  The 
world  owes  much  to  the  missionaries — 
men  like  Paul,  the  apostle;  men  like 
Wilford  Woodruff,  Brigham  Young, 
Heber  C.  Kimball,  Parley  and  Orson 
Pratt,  Charles  W.  Penrose,  and  a  thou- 
sand others;  and  men  like  those  who 
today  are  blazing  the  trail  into  Asia, 
Europe,  the  islands  of  the  sea,  and  to 
every  part  of  North  and  South  America. 

To  meet  the  demand  and  to  discharge 
the  responsibility  resting  heavily  upon 
the  Church,  the  missionary  spirit  must 
possess  its  members,  for  everyone  is  ex- 
pected to  be  a  missionary.  The  world 
must  learn  that  man  cannot  live  by 
bread  alone,  that  beyond  the  power  of 
materialism  there  is  a  greater  power 
which  determines  the  destiny  of  men 
and  nations.  That  power  is  generated 
by  the  missionaries. 

We  can  say  to  all  the  world  that 
Christ's  word  is  taught  today  as  Christ 
and  his  apostles  taught  it  two  thousand 
years  ago.  They  teach  the  same  gospel 
without  thought  of  material  reward, 
with  faith  and  good  works,  strengthened 
by  firm  and  unshakable  testimonies 
against  which  there  is  no  argument. 

May  God  bless  the  missionaries  every- 
where that  they  may  be  magnified  be- 
fore all  men  in  every  nation  and  kindred 
and  tongue  and  people  is  my  humble 
prayer,  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ. 
Amen. 

President  David  O.  McKay: 

Elder  Alma  Sonne,  Assistant  to  the 
Twelve,  has  just  spoken  to  us.  Elder 
William  J.  Critchlow,  Jr.,  also  Assistant 
to  the  Twelve,  will  now  address  us. 


ELDER  WILLIAM  J.  CRITCHLOW  JR. 

Assistant  to  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 


People  in  all  of  the  nations  of  the  earth 
need  to  repent.  The  need  is  urgent. 
This  declaration  of  need  constitutes  an 
indictment  of  guilt — transgressions  are 
implied. 

For  what  need  we  repent  I  may  be 
asked?   My  answer: 

For  the  same  sins  that  brought  low 
the  impenitent  inhabitants  of  Sodom 
and  Gomorrah; 


for  the  identical  sins  that  brought 
extinction  to  the  impenitent  Nephites 
on  this  continent; 

for  the  same  sins  that  brought  destruc- 
tion to  the  impenitent  souls  in  Noah's 
day; 

for  the  same  sins  that  will  bring  the 
judgments  of  God  upon  the  impenitent 
people  in  our  day — unless  we  repent. 

".  .  .  as  it  was  in  the  days  of  Noe,  so 


ELDER  WILLIAM  ].  CRITCHLOW,  ]R. 


37 


shall  it  be  also  in  the  days  of  the  Son 
of  man."  (Luke  17:26.) 

Our  world  has  become  a  modern 
Babylon.  Cities  like  Sodom  and  Gomor- 
rah dot  the  earth. 

"If  we  say  that  we  have  no  sin,  we 
deceive  ourselves,  and  the  truth  is  not 
in  us."  (1  John  1:8.) 

In  a  very  few  moments,  one  could  in- 
ventory in  the  mind  his  or  her  more 
serious  transgressions — those  already  re- 
pented of,  and  those  still  to  be  repented 
of.  It  will  take  a  little  longer,  and  the 
list  will  grow  a  little  longer,  if  we  add 
to  it  our  sins  of  omission.  Sometimes 
our  sins  of  omission  are  greater  than 
our  sins  of  commission.  Now,  how  did 
we  rid  ourselves  of  sin  or  how  shall  we 
rid  ourselves  of  the  sins  so  listed?  Is 
there  a  pattern  or  formula  for  repenting? 
Definitely  there  is,  in  my  humble  opin- 
ion, and  those  who  will  pause  to  list 
their  sins  will,  by  so  doing,  be  taking 
the  first  step  in  the  repenting  process.  In 
such  a  mental  inventory  we  automatical- 
ly recognize  certain  of  our  acts  as  trans- 
gressions, otherwise  we  would  not  list 
them.  No  problem  can  be  solved,  no 
sin  can  be  resolved  until  it  is  first  recog- 
nized. Recognition  of  sin  therefore  is 
the  first  step  in  the  repenting  processes. 

The  Apostle  Paul  assented  to  the 
stoning  of  Stephen.  He  held  the  cloaks 
of  those  who  threw  the  stones.  Not 
until  he  was  chastened  by  the  Lord  did 
he  recognize  the  full  extent  of  his  sin. 
Great  was  his  remorse  thereafter. 

A  convert  to  the  Church  was  unaware 
that  he  was  transgressing  a  law  of  God 
as  he  imbibed  tea,  coffee,  and  tobacco 
until  he  was  taught  God's  law  of 
health — the  Word  of  Wisdom.  His  con- 
version forced  upon  him  recognition  of 
the  law.  Violations  thereafter  consti- 
tuted transgressions. 

For  the  purpose  of  my  theme  I  pro- 
pose to  spell  repentance  with  seven  big 
capital  "R's."  The  first  "R"  obviously 
stands  for  recognition. 

Paul's  godly  sorrow  for  his  sin  sug- 
gests the  second  "R" — remorse.  Our 
Lord,  teaching  his  followers  to  pray,  said: 
".  .  .  lead  us  not  into  temptation,  hut 
deliver  us  from  evil:  .  .  ."  (Matt.  6:13.) 

He  said  that  nearly  two  thousand 
years  ago.  Brought  up  to  date,  the  1962 
version  seems  to  be:  "Lead  us  not  into 


temptation   but   deliver  us  from   being 
caught." 

Sorrow  for  being  caught  in  sin  is  not 
remorse. 

The  third  "R"  stands  for  relating.  All 
sins  should  be  confessed  unto  the  Lord. 

"Where,"  said  Elder  Marion  G.  Rom- 
ney,  "one's  transgressions  are  of  such  a 
nature  as  would,  unrepented  of,  put 
in  jeopard}'  his  right  to  membership  or 
fellowship  in  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ, 
full  and  effective  confession  would,  in 
my  judgment,  require  confession  by  the 
repentant  sinner  to  his  bishop  or  other 
proper  presiding  Church  officer — not 
that  the  Church  officer  could  forgive 
the  sin  (this  power  rests  in  the  Lord 
himself  and  those  only  to  whom  he 
specifically  delegates  it)  but  rather  that 
the  Church,  acting  through  its  duly 
appointed  officers,  might  with  full 
knowledge  of  the  facts  take  such  action 
with  respect  to  church  discipline  as  the 
circumstances  merit."  (Conf.  Report, 
Oct.  1955.) 

The  fourth  "R"  stands  for  restitution. 

"For  misconduct  which  offends  an- 
other, confession  should  also  be  made  to 
the  offended  one,  and  his  forgiveness 
sought."  (Idem.) 

Restitution  means  to  restore — to  re- 
pair the  damage.  Three  boys  about  to 
receive  scouting  awards  were  appre- 
hended breaking  street  lights.  And  were 
they  sorry  for  being  caught!  Later,  but 
before  they  accepted  their  awards,  they 
recognized  their  acts  as  unbecoming 
Eagle  Scouts  and  with  a  true  feeling  of 
remorse  went  to  the  power  company  to 
relate  their  transgression  and  offered  to 
make  restitution  by  paying  for  the  lights. 
Incidentally,  the  only  restitution  exacted 
was  that  they  be  guardians  of  those 
lights.  From  then  on  the  lights  burned 
on  and  on  and  on. 

Some  things  cannot  be  restored.  Street 
lights  can  be  replaced,  embezzled  funds 
and  stolen  property  may  be  returned, 
but  how  does  one  make  restitution  for 
the  sin  of  blasphemy — taking  the  name 
of  God  in  vain.  Blasphemy,  used  so 
freely  to  emphasize  our  conversation,  is 
the  most  thoughtless  of  all  conversa- 
tional crimes.  How  does  one  make 
restitution  for  lies — for  bearing  false 
witness? 

The  wagging  tongue  like — • 


38 

Friday,  April  6 

"The  moving  finger  writes:  and  having 

writ, 
Moves  on:  nor  all  thy  piety  nor  wit 
Shall  lure  it  back  to  cancel  half  a  line, 
Nor  all  thy  tears  wash  out  a  word  if  it." 
— Omar  Khayyam 

Paul's  sincere  apology  to  the  Lord  for 
assenting  to  the  stoning  of  Stephen  never 
brought  back  Stephen's  life.  Nor  will 
all  the  prayers  of  repentant  sinners  ever 
restore  virtue  to  a  maid  or  a  boy. 

The  fifth  "R"  stands  for  resolution. 
It  implies  a  firm  resolve  to  forsake  our 
sins.  There  are  two  kinds  of  resolutions, 
one  is  called  the  New  Year  type.  These 
come  cheaper  by  the  dozen  and  are 
branded  with  insincerity  and  guaran- 
teed to  last  only  till  the  next  temptation. 
Few  ever  last  longer  than  the  winter 
snows.  The  other  is  the  sincere  type, 
resolved  and  guaranteed  to  last  forever. 

"By  this  ye  may  know  if  a  man  re- 
penteth  of  his  sins — behold,  he  will 
confess  them  and  forsake  them."  (D&C 
58:43.) 

Resolves  which  are  repeatedly  broken 
merit  no  forgiveness. 

".  .  .  go  your  ways  and  sin  no  more; 
but  unto  that  soul  who  sinneth  shall  the 
former  sins  return,  saith  the  Lord  your 
God."  (D&C  82:7.) 

We  do  not  trifle  with  the  Lord. 

A  resolution  is  an  expression  of  faith 
and  like  faith  needs  to  be  supported 
by  works.  The  next  step  therefore  in- 
volves works.  It  is  represented  by  a 
big  "R"  which  stands  for  reformation.  A 
resolution  is  an  intention  to  do  well. 
Reformation  is  actually  doing  well. 

".  .  .  let  every  man  learn  his  duty," 
said  the  Lord,  ".  . .  he  that  learns  not  his 
duty  and  shows  himself  not  approved 
shall  not  be  counted  worthy  to  stand." 
(See  D&C  107:99-100.) 

Transgressors  seek  the  forgiveness  of 
Heavenly  Father.  Their  fellow  men 
will  forgive  "seventy  times  seven"  (see 
Matt.  18:21-22)  because  they  have  been 
so  commanded. 

"I,  the  Lord,  will  forgive  whom  I  will 
forgive,  but  of  you  it  is  required  to  for- 
give all  men."  (Ibid.,  64:10.) 

To  earn  his  forgiveness  one  should  go 
the  extra  mile,  forsaking  not  only  his 
sins  but  adding  the  while  devotion 
and  service  to  prove  his  love  for  him. 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


First  Day 

Such  devotion  and  service  constitutes 
reformation. 

Now  if  in  the  process  of  repenting  we 
follow  these  six  steps,  represented  by 
the  six  "R's" — may  I  list  them:  Recog- 
nition, remorse,  relating,  restitution, 
resolution,  and  reformation  we  should 
have  placed  ourselves  in  a  position  to 
enjoy  the  seventh  step  represented  by 
another  great  big  "R"  which  stands  for 
realization — realization  of  the  happiness 
that  comes  from  righteous  living.  Hap- 
piness is  righteousness,  said  President 
McKay.  ".  .  .  if  there  be  no  righteous- 
ness there  be  no  happiness."  (2  Nephi 
2:13.)  A  realization  too,  that  we  are 
forgiven  by  him  whose  forgiveness  really 
counts,  and  a  peaceful  feeling  will  burn 
within  our  bosoms,  and  our  minds  will 
be  at  peace.  Elder  Sterling  Sill  told  us 
this  morning  that  the  number  "7"  was 
a  symbol  of  completeness.  These  seven 
"R's"  accordingly  symbolize  a  complete 
process  of  repentance. 

If  spelling  repentance  with  so  many 
"R's"  complicates  for  you  the  repenting 
process,  be  of  good  cheer.  Many  good 
souls  who  couldn't  spell  it  with  seven 
"R's"  or  any  other  way  have  sincerely 
repented  and  have  been  forgiven.  One's 
conscience  seemingly  has  a  way  of  con- 
forming unwittingly.  So  let  your  con- 
science be  your  guide.  "The  sum-bonum 
of  the  proposition"  (Henry  Drummond) 
is  repent — everybody  repent. 

"If  we  confess  our  sins,  he  is  faithful 
and  just  to  forgive  us  our  sins  and  to 
cleanse  us  from  all  unrighteousness." 
(1  John  1:9.) 

After  forty  years  of  wandering  in  the 
wilderness,  Moses  brought  the  children 
of  Israel  to  the  borders  of  the  promised 
land.  There  they  were  halted  so  they 
could  sanctify  themselves  before  they 
entered. 

Today  after  six  thousand  years  of 
mortal  living,  dying,  striving,  and  wan- 
dering upon  the  face  of  the  earth,  the 
children  of  God  stand  on  the  threshold 
of  another  promised  land — a  promised 
millennium  of  peace,  and  just  as  God 
sifted  out  the  impenitent  in  Moses'  day, 
so  will  he  sift  out  the  impenitent  in  our 
day  before  the  dawn  of  the  millennial 
morn.  We  have  so  little  time  left  to 
sanctify  ourselves — it's  later  than  we 
think.    How  else  can  we  sanctify  our- 


PRESIDENT  DAVID  O.  McKAY 


39 


selves  save  by  repentance?  I  plead  with 
all — give  it  top  priority.  Our  Lord  gave 
it  priority  when  he  counseled: 

"Hearken  ye  people  of  my  Church  .  .  . 
Hearken  ye  people  from  afar;  and  ye 
that  are  upon  the  islands  of  the  sea  .  .  . 
Prepare  ye,  prepare  ye,  for  that  which 
is  to  come,  for  the  Lord  is  nigh  .  .  .  For 
I  the  Lord  cannot  look  upon  sin  with 
the  least  degree  of  allowance  .  .  .  Never- 
theless, he  that  repents  .  .  .  and  doeth 
the  commandments  of  the  Lord  shall 
be  forgiven,  and  he  that  repents  not, 
from  him  shall  be  taken  even  the  light 
which  he  has  received."  (See  D&C  1:1, 
12,31-33.) 

In  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 

President  David  O.  McKay: 

Elder  William  J.  Critchlow,  Jr.,  Assist- 
ant to  the  Twelve,  has  just  spoken  to  us. 

The  Combined  Choruses  of  the  Brig- 
ham  Young  University  will  now  favor  us 
with  "Praise  Ye  the  Lord  in  Heav- 
en," conducted  by  Brother  Maughan 
McMurdie.  The  benediction  will  be  of- 
fered by  Elder  J.  Leonard  Love,  formerly 
president  of  the  Northern  California 
Mission. 

The  singing  for  this  session,  as  you 
know,  has  been  furnished  by  the 
Combined  Choruses  of  the  Brigham 
Young  University  under  the  direction  of 
Maughan  McMurdie  with  Alexander 
Schreiner  at  the  organ. 

In  behalf  of  all  who  have  listened  to 
the  singing  during  the  General  Con- 
ference sessions  today,  the  General  Au- 
thorities, the  audience  here  in  the  Taber- 
nacle, and  the  great  radio-television 
audience,    we   express    appreciation   for 


these  young  singers  who  have  furnished 
such  beautiful  and  inspirational  music 
throughout  our  sessions.  With  all  my 
heart  I  say  with  the  congregation,  young 
folks,  God  bless  you  for  the  service  you 
have  rendered,  and  may  the  spirit  of 
this  Conference  give  you  strength  to  keep 
your  youth  and  beauty  throughout  your 
lives. 

The  general  sessions  tomorrow  will  be 
broadcast  as  a  public  service  over  tele- 
vision and  radio  stations  througout  the 
intermountain  west. 

The  Presiding  Bishopric  of  the  Church 
will  hold  a  meeting  in  the  Tabernacle 
this  evening  as  7:00  o'clock.  Those  ex- 
pected to  attend  include  stake  presidents 
and  their  counselors,  bishoprics,  and 
independent  branch  presidents  and  their 
counselors. 

There  will  be  a  Welfare  agricultural 
meeting  in  the  Assembly  Hall  Saturday 
morning,  tomorrow  morning,  at  7:30 
A.M.  Stake  presidents,  bishops,  Welfare 
committe  advisers,  agricultural  repre- 
sentatives from  all  stakes,  and  all  others 
interested  in  agriculture,  are  invited  to 
attend  this  meeting. 

The  Brigham  Young  University  Com- 
bined Choruses  will  now  sing,  "Praise 
Ye  the  Lord  in  Heaven,"  and  after  the 
benediction  by  Elder  J.  Leonard  Love, 
the  general  session  of  this  Conference 
will  be  adjourned  until  ten  o'clock  to- 
morrow morning. 

The  Brigham  Young  University  Com- 
bined Choruses  sang  the  anthem, 
"Praise  Ye  The  Lord  In  Heaven." 

Elder  J.  Leonard  Love,  formerly  presi- 
dent of  the  Northern  California  Mission, 
offered  the  closing  prayer. 


SECOND  DAY 
MORNING  MEETING 


The  Conference  reconvened  Saturday 
morning,  April  7,  at  10  o'clock,  with 
President  David  O.  McKay  presiding  and 
conducting  the  services. 

The  choral  music  for  this  session  of 
the  Conference  was  furnished  by  the 
Ricks  College  Choir,  with  Richard  W. 
Robison  conducting.  Elder  Frank  W. 
Asper  was  at  the  organ. 

Promptly  at  10:00  President  McKay 


opened  the  meeting  with  the  following 
introductory  remarks: 

President  David  O.  McKay: 

The  Tabernacle  this  morning  is  filled 
to  capacity,  and  people  are  crowding  in 
the  doorways  as  far  out  as  we  can  see. 
We  wish  to  announce  that  these  services 
and   all   general   sessions   of   the   Con- 


40 

Saturday,  April  7 

ference  are  being  broadcast  in  the  As- 
sembly Hall  and  in  Barratt  Hall  by 
television.  Those  who  are  standing  in 
the  doorways  may  perhaps  find  seats  in 
one  or  the  other  of  these  buildings. 

This  session  is  being  broadcast  as  a 
public  service  over  television  and  radio 
stations  throughout  the  intermountain 
west.  The  names  of  these  stations  have 
already  been  announced. 

The  Ricks  College  Choir,  with  Richard 
W.  Robison  conducting  and  Frank  W. 
Asper  at  the  organ,  will  furnish  the 
music  for  the  sessions  today.  We  are 
pleased  to  have  these  young  people 
present  and  know  we  shall  be  thrilled 
by   their    singing. 

We  welcome  and  express  appreciation 
for  the  presence  of  special  guests,  stake 
presidencies,  bishoprics,  and  other  gener- 
al officers  of  the  Church,  some  of  whom 
are  from  Europe,  Hawaii,  Australia,  New 
Zealand,  and  Alaska.  We  welcome,  also, 
our  national,  state,  and  city  officials  and 
educational  leaders. 

We  welcome  Brother  Richard  T.  Wot- 
ton  whose  name  we  overlooked  yester- 
day, the  President  of  the  Church  Col- 
lege of  Hawaii;  and  we  have  present 
also  this  morning,  Senator  Wallace  F. 
Bennett;  David  S.  King,  United  States 
Congressman;  United  States  Congress- 
man M.  Blaine  Petersen;  Dr.  Ernest  L. 
Wilkinson,  president  of  Brigham  Young 
University,  Dr.  John  L.  Clark  of  Ricks 
College;  Dr.  Floward  S.  McDonald,  Los 
Angeles  State  College;  Dr.  Wendell  H. 
Wiser,  president  of  the  Church  College 
of  New  Zealand;  Jessie  A.  Udall,  As- 
sociate Justice  of  Arizona  Supreme  Court; 
and  others. 

We  have  here  a  very  interesting  note 
which  I  am  sure  you  will  be  pleased  to 
hear — -"Best  wishes  and  sincere  appre- 
ciation is  extended  to  you  and  the 
Church  from  Marsh  Valley  Seminary, 
Arimo,  Idaho;  115  seminary  students 
who  arose  at  three  o'clock  this  morning 
to  come  to  this  session  wish  to  express 
their  appreciation  for  being  able  to  at- 
tend today.  Lamar  Hansen,  principal." 
We  hope  you  will  not  fall  asleep  after 
staying  up  all  night,  (laughter)  And 
here  is  a  telegram  from  Frankfurt,  Ger- 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Second  Day 

many:  "Best  wishes  and  congratulations 
for  a  successful  Conference.  European 
Servicemen  and  dependents."  We  appre- 
ciate this  message,  and  the  interest  these 
servicemen    show    all    over   the   world. 

Ten  thousand  sweet  peas,  some  of 
which  you  see  on  the  rostrum,  are  from 
the  Mesa  Eleventh  Ward,  Mesa  Stake. 
These  lovely  flowers  were  picked  by  the 
members  of  the  ward  and  delivered  per- 
sonally by  Bishop  Junius  D.  Bowers. 

Brother  and  Sister  Longden's  message 
we  read  yesterday.  President  and  Sister 
Frank  H.  Brown  sent  the  following  tele- 
gram: "Greetings  prayer  and  love  from 
the  missionaries  and  members  of  the 
East  Central  States  Mission  to  you  this 
day,  to  parents  and  those  assembled.  We 
are  proud  to  be  Mormon  missionaries." 

We  shall  begin  this  session  by  the 
Ricks  College  Choir  singing,  "The 
Morning  Breaks,  The  Shadows  Flee," 
conducted  by  Richard  W.  Robison.  The 
invocation  will  be  offered  by  Elder  Del- 
bert  G.  Taylor,  president  of  the  Rexburg 
Stake. 

As  an  opening  number  the  Ricks 
College  Choir  sang  the  hymn,  "The 
Morning  Breaks,  The  Shadows  Flee." 

Elder  Delbert  G.  Taylor,  president  of 
the  Rexburg  Stake,  offered  the  opening 
prayer. 

President  David  O.  McKay: 

The  invocation  was  just  offered  by 
Elder  Delbert  G.  Taylor,  president  of  the 
Rexburg  Stake.  The  Ricks  College  Choir 
will  now  sing,  "O  Divine  Redeemer," 
conducted  by  Richard  W.  Robison.  After 
the  singing  Elder  LeGrand  Richards  will 
speak  to  us. 

The  Ricks  College  Choir  sang,  "O 
Divine  Redeemer." 


President  David  O.  McKay: 

Elder  LeGrand  Richards  of  the  Coun- 
cil of  the  Twelve  will  now  speak  to  us. 
He  will  be  followed  by  President  Joseph 
Fielding  Smith. 


41 


ELDER  LEGRAND  RICHARDS 

Of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 


I  am  happy  to  greet  you  Latter-day 
Saints  this  morning,  assembled  in  this 
great  conference  of  the  Church,  and 
all  who  are  listening  in  over  the  radio 
and  the  television.  I  thank  the  Lord 
above  all  other  things  in  my  life  for 
my  membership  in  this  Church  and  for 
my  association  with  the  Latter-day 
Saints. 

Yesterday  in  President  McKay's  most 
inspiring  address,  he  related  some  of 
the  incidents  in  connection  with  the 
organization  of  the  Church  132  years 
ago,  and  he  quoted  from  a  revelation 
given  by  the  Lord  to  the  Prophet  Joseph 
Smith  over  a  year  before  the  Church  was 
organized  in  which  the  Lord  said  that 
a  marvelous  work  was  about  to  come 
forth  among  the  children  of  men. 

If  the  world  could  only  understand 
what  that  marvelous  work  is  and  where 
they  could  learn  about  it.  You  do  not 
read  about  it  in  the  newspapers.  Presi- 
dent McKay  related  many  of  the  mar- 
velous things  that  have  occurred  in 
the  world,  but  we  have  to  go  to  the 
scr'ptures  and  to  the  words  of  the 
prophets  to  learn  what  that  marvelous 
work  is. 

Isaiah  saw  the  same  thing  that  would 
come  to  pass  in  our  day  when  he  said: 

".  .  .  Forasmuch  as  this  people  draw 
near  me  with  their  mouth,  and  with 
their  lips  do  honour  me,  but  have  re- 
moved their  heart  far  from  me,  and 
their  fear  toward  me  is  taught  by  the 
precept  of  men: 

"Therefore,  behold,  I  will  proceed  to 
do  a  marvellous  work  among  this  peo- 
ple, even  a  marvellous  work  and  a  won- 
der: for  the  wisdom  of  their  wise  men 
shall  perish,  and  the  understanding  of 
their  prudent  men  shall  be  hid." 
(Isaiah  29:13-14.) 

When  the  Lord  indicated  that  he 
would  do  a  marvelous  work  and  wonder, 
if  it  were  marvelous  and  wonderful  in 
his  eyes,  what  would  it  be  in  the  eyes 
of  the  world  if  they  just  understood  it? 

There  are  so  many  other  prophecies 
like  the  one  of  Daniel  in  his  interpreta- 
tion of  King  Nebuchadnezzar's  dream 
where  the  Lord  indicated  that   in  the 


latter  days,  and  we  live  in  the  latter 
days,  he  would  set  up  his  kingdom  in 
the  earth,  never  to  be  thrown  down  or 
given  to  another  people.  Never  in  the 
history  of  the  world  has  such  a  king- 
dom been  set  up  with  a  promise  that 
it  would  never  be  thrown  down  or  given 
to  another  people,  but  Daniel  said  that 
it  would  roll  forth  like  a  little  stone 
cut  out  of  the  mountain  without  hands 
until  it  would  become  as  a  great  moun- 
tain and  fill  the  whole  earth.  (See 
Daniel  2.) 

When  we  hear  about  how  this  work 
is  spreading  in  the  world,  we  cannot 
help  realizing  that  this  is  that  marvel- 
ous work  and  a  wonder,  just  described 
in  different  terms  by  Daniel  as  com- 
pared with  the  one  that  Isaiah  tells  us 
of,  and  Isaiah  said  that  the  wisdom  of 
their  wise  men  would  perish,  and  the 
understanding  of  their  prudent  men 
would  be  hid,  because  they  cannot  un- 
derstand and  comprehend,  any  more 
than  they  could  understand  and  compre- 
hend the  work  that  Jesus  established 
when  he  was  here  upon  the  earth,  and 
so  they  crucified  him.  You  remember 
he  said:  ".  .  .  Father,  forgive  them;  for 
they  know  not  what  they  do.  .  .  ." 
(Luke  23:34.) 

We  have  many  other  prophecies. 
Isaiah  said  that  the  Lord  had  declared 
the  end  from  the  beginning.  (See  ibid., 
46:10.)  He  said:  "The  grass  withereth, 
the  flower  fadeth:  but  the  word  of  our 
God  shall  stand  for  ever."  (Ibid.,  40:8.) 

Where  do  we  learn  the  word  of  our 
God?  We  read  in  the  scriptures  the 
words  of  Amos  the  Prophet  that:  "Sure- 
ly the  Lord  God  will  do  nothing,  but 
he  revealeth  his  secret  unto  his  servants 
the  prophets."  (Amos  3:7.) 

So  that  if  the  Lord  should  ever  under- 
take to  fulfil  the  promises  made  to  the 
Prophet  Joseph  Smith  and  to  Isaiah  and 
to  Daniel,  then  we  would  have  to  look 
to  find  that  work  headed  by  a  prophet, 
because  God  could  not  do,  according  to 
his  plan  and  purposes,  the  work  he 
decreed  he  would  do  without  a  prophet. 
Thank  God  for  the  prophets  of  this 
dispensation. 


42 

Saturday,  April  7 

You  remember  how  Jesus  said  that  the 
people  of  his  day  crucified  the  living 
prophets,  but  they  decorated  the  graves 
of  the  dead  prophets.  And  history  is 
just  repeating  itself  today.  So  we  turn 
to  the  living  prophets  to  learn  of  this 
marvelous  work  and  a  wonder  the  Lord 
promised  to  do  and  to  learn  of  the 
kingdom  the  Lord  promised  to  set  up 
in  the  latter  days. 

We  know  that  this  Church  is  the 
fulfilment  of  those  very  prophecies  and 
many,  many  others,  relating  to  this 
marvelous  work  that  God  said  he  would 
establish  in  the  latter  days,  and  we 
would  that  all  men  everywhere  might 
know  as  we  know,  and  we  bear  witness 
of  it,  and  that  is  the  reason  for  the 
great  missionary  program  of  the  Church 
where  we  have  some  1 1,000  of  our  young 
men  and  women  out  in  the  world  with 
no  thought  of  any  earthly  gain,  only  a 
desire  to  share  with  the  people  of  the 
world  the  marvelous  truths  of  the 
gospel. 

We  converted  a  very  prominent 
banker  not  long  ago,  and  when  I  at- 
tended one  of  the  conferences  at  which 
he  was  present,  I  asked  him  if  he  would 
like  to  say  a  few  words  in  the  confer- 
ence. He  stood  up  and  said  something 
like  this:  "Mormonism  is  not  only  a 
religion,  it  is  a  way  of  life."  And  why 
should  it  not  be  a  way  of  life?  It  is 
not  just  a  Sunday  religion.  It  is  a 
religion  that  enters  into  our  lives  un- 
til the  first  thing  in  the  life  of  a 
Latter-day  Saint  is  to  serve  the  Lord 
and  honor  his  priesthood,  where  every 
man  can  bear  the  priesthood  of  God 
and  help  to  build  the  kingdom  of  God 
in  the  earth.  I  thank  the  Lord  for  such 
a  Church  as  that. 

You  remember  the  story  about  when 
one  of  the  brethren  was  asked  what 
his  business  was,  and  he  said,  "My 
business,  sir,  is  to  serve  the  Lord.  I 
mend  shoes  for  a  living."  Now  that  is 
the  way  the  Latter-day  Saints  feel.  Our 
business  is  to  serve  the  Lord,  and  then 
we  mend  shoes  for  a  living. 

A  short  time  ago,  and  many  of  you 
may  be  familiar  with  this,  there  was  a 
very  prominent  minister  delivering  an 
address  on  what  was  called  the  National 
Brotherhood  Week,  and  he  talked  about 
the  Mormons.     He  was   discussing  the 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Second  Day 

merits  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter-day  Saints,  and  after  admitting 
that  he  had  always  had  a  very  erroneous 
idea  about  the  Mormons,  he  made  this 
statement:  "What  are  the  things  that 
I  like  about  the  Mormons?"  Then  he 
enumerates  some  of  them,  one  by  one, 
and  indicates  that  it  is  a  way  of  life; 
for  instance,  he  says  his  first  thought 
is  a  clear  statement  of  faith,  a  statement 
of  faith  that  young  people  can  grasp, 
understanding  what  it  is.  Then  he  men- 
tions and  discusses  some  of  its  teachings, 
such  as  eternal  progression.  What  a 
marvelous  truth  this  Church  has  re- 
vealed to  the  world.  Revelation  taking 
place  today.  What  a  world  it  would 
be  if  everybody  believed  in  the  revela- 
tions of  God  in  our  day! 

And  then  he  speaks  of  eternal  mar- 
riage. Is  it  not  strange  that  as  plainly 
as  that  principle  is  taught  in  the  Holy 
Scriptures,  that  we  should  be  the  only 
Church  that  teaches  it?  All  other 
churches  perform  their  marriages  "until 
death  do  you  part."  I  know  there  are 
some  ministers  who  would  like  to  per- 
form their  marriages  for  eternity,  be- 
cause I  have  talked  with  them.  I  can- 
not take  time  to  tell  you  of  these  expe- 
riences this  morning,  but  one  of  our 
Mormon  boys  was  being  married  in 
southern  California  a  few  years  ago.  He 
was  marrying  out  of  the  Church,  and 
her  minister  was  to  perform  the  cere- 
mony. In  talking  with  this  young 
couple  in  advance,  he  said,  "Now,  if 
there  is  anything  special  you  would  like 
me  to  say  when  I  perform  the  cere- 
mony, if  you  will  indicate  it,  I  will  be 
glad  to  say  it."  This  young  Mormon 
boy  spoke  up  and  said,  "Reverend, 
when  you  pronounce  us  husband  and 
wife,  if  you  would  do  it  for  time  and 
eternity,  you  would  surely  make  me 
happy."  The  minister  raised  his  head, 
and  said,  "Isn't  that  a  beautiful 
thought?  Why  don't  we  all  get  mar- 
ried like  that?"  We  would  all  get 
married  like  that  if  we  lived  properly, 
and  if  we  understood  God's  eternal 
truth  when  he  said  it  was  not  good  for 
man  to  be  alone  and  gave  him  a  help 
meet  before  death  ever  came  into  this 
world.  Through  the  atonement  of 
Christ,  we  are  to  be  restored  to  man's 
former  condition.     If  it  was  not  good 


ELDER  LEGRAND  RICHARDS 


43 


for  man  to  be  alone  before  death  came 
into  the  world,  it  will  not  be  good  for 
man  to  be  alone  when  there  is  no  more 
death. 

To  us  who  understand  this  principle, 
we  cannot  understand  why  the  world 
cannot  believe  when  it  is  taught  so 
plainly.  I  could  tell  you  of  other  min- 
isters who  have  admitted  to  me  that 
they  believe  eternal  marriage  is  a  prin- 
ciple of  the  scriptures,  but  they  are  not 
allowed  to  teach  it  in  their  own 
churches. 

Then  this  minister  said,  when  men- 
tioning these  things,  "But  is  this  faith 
bad?"  Is  it  bad  to  believe  in  eternal 
progression?  Is  it  bad  to  believe  in 
revelation?  Is  it  bad  to  believe  in 
the  eternal  duration  of  the  marriage 
covenant? 

Then  he  adds:  "The  second  thing  I 
like  about  them  is  that  they  have  a  way 
of  life.  Their  religion  enters  into  their 
life  immediately."  Then  he  discusses 
our  attitude  toward  work,  toward  accept- 
ing help  from  the  government  and  our 
standards  of  living  necessary  to  prepare 
us  to  serve  in  the  Church,  and  then  he 
says,  "I  do  not  know  whether  it  is  be- 
cause of  this  way  of  life  to  which  their 
religion  is  related  so  intimately  or  not, 
but  they  are  perhaps  the  healthiest  peo- 
ple in  the  world.  During  the  war,  in 
Utah  you  found  more  people  or  men 
acceptable  for  the  services  than  any 
other  state  in  the  United  States."  Then 
he  states,  "Utah  is  the  first  state  in  the 
United  States  in  education  and  perhaps 
the  best  in  the  world." 

If  we  have  what  we  claim,  a  marvel- 
ous work  and  a  wonder,  should  it  not 
inspire  us  as  a  people  to  live  up  to  its 
standards?  It  is  nothing  more  than 
what  Jesus  said  that  we  should  let  our 
light  so  shine  before  men  that  they, 
seeing  our  good  works,  should  glorify 
our  Father  which  is  in  heaven.  (See 
Matt.  5:16.) 

Then  this  man  says,  "The  third  thing 
I  like  about  the  Mormon  faith,  it  is  a 
family-centered  religion.  This  family- 
centered  religion  begins  with  family 
prayers  in  the  morning,  family  prayers 
at  night,  and  no  food  is  eaten  until  it 
is  blessed.  The  entire  family  goes  to 
Church,  led  by  the  father  and  the 
mother."  I  interviewed  a  young  man 
for  his  mission  a  short  time  ago  in  south- 


ern Utah,  and  he  had  just  returned  from 
spending  eighteen  months  in  an  army 
camp  in  Germany.  He  said,  "We  Mor- 
mon boys  went  to  the  Chief  Chaplain  to 
see  if  we  could  get  permission  to  hold 
our  meetings  in  the  government  chapel, 
and  he  said,  'Well,  we  would  like  to 
accommodate  you,  but  it  is  in  such 
constant  use,  we  cannot  do  it.  There 
is  a  classroom  in  the  basement;  you  can 
use  that,' "  and  then  he  asked  for  a 
report  of  attendance  at  their  meetings 
and  when  the  first  report  was  handed 
in,  the  chaplain  said,  "My,  you  must 
have  a  lot  of  Mormon  boys  at  this 
base."  He  was  told  that  there  were 
thirty-five.  He  shook  his  head  and  said, 
"I  can't  believe  it.  How  do  you  do  it? 
You  have  more  boys  attending  your 
meetings  than  I  have  attending  mine, 
and  I  have  five  thousand  Protestant 
boys  under  my  supervision."  Now, 
when  thirty-five  Mormon  boys  far  away 
from  their  homes  and  their  loved  ones 
and  their  bishops  and  their  best  girls 
can  make  a  better  record  of  attending 
church  than  five  thousand  Protestant 
boys,  does  not  that  tell  you  something 
about  the  spiritual  power  that  there  is 
in  this  Church,  that  leads  them  to  the 
house  of  worship? 

I  told  this  story  in  California  and  one 
of  the  brethren  there  said,  "I  was  raised 
in  one  of  the  largest  churches  in  San 
Francisco.  We  had  a  beautiful  build- 
ing. We  had  over  ten  thousand  mem- 
bers, and  our  average  attendance  was 
less  than  one  hundred."  According  to 
our  statistics,  we  would  have  had,  with 
that  many,  thirty-six  hundred  average 
attendance  at  the  meetings. 

Then  this  minister  tells  about  the 
home  evening  and  about  the  fellowship 
in  the  Church  and  the  youth  program, 
how  they  associate  together.  I  heard 
a  minister  on  the  radio  in  California 
make  this  statement,  "What  we  need  is 
a  church  for  the  youth  of  the  land.  We 
have  been  preaching  to  the  old  folks 
and  letting  the  young  folks  go  to  the 
devil."  He  said,  "That  is  why  our 
churches  are  empty  today." 

A  minister  in  talking  over  the  radio 
in  Los  Angeles  held  a  question  and  an- 
swer box,  and  one  evening  the  first 
question  asked  was,  "What  church  is 
doing  the  most  for  its  young  people?" 
And    his    answer  was,    "The   Mormon 


44 

Saturday,  April  7 

Church,"  and  then  he  explained  our 
standards  of  living  and  what  the  Church 
did  for  its  young  people,  and  we  have 
had  many  such  comments  as  that.  Then 
he  talked  about  our  preparation  of  our 
young  people  for  marriage. 

There  isn't  time  to  discuss  more  of 
this  minister's  comments  on  what  he 
likes  about  the  Mormons.  I  have  only 
discussed  three,  and  there  are  seven,  so 
I  will  skip  them.  But  I  come  now  to  the 
seventh,  where  he  talks  about  the  serv- 
ice in  the  Church.  He  took  as  an  illus- 
tration a  stake  president,  and  he  knew 
all  about  it.  He  lived  in  one  of  our 
communities,  and  he  told  about  the 
number  of  meetings  he  held,  the  num- 
ber of  miles  he  traveled,  and  some  of 
them  travel  great  distances,  and  then 
after  he  discussed  that,  and  he  could 
just  as  well  have  discussed  the  bishops, 
too,  he  said,  "They  care  for  their  mem- 
bers." And  then  he  adds,  "Unless  the 
laymen  of  the  church  reassume  their 
responsibility,  I  do  not  believe  the 
Protestant  church  has  a  future." 

I  would  like  to  read  a  few  statements 
in  closing  from  recent  converts  to  the 
Church  that  I  have  received  during  the 
last  few  days.  I  only  have  time  to 
read  one,  and  that  is  from  a  retired 
minister — -he  was  not  retired  when  we 
converted  him — I  think  he  may  be  in 
this  audience  this  morning.  I  copied 
this  out  of  a  letter  less  than  thirty  days 
old:    "My  testimony  grows  and  grows. 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Second  Day 

Where  we  were  once  blind,  we  now 
see." 

Would  it  not  be  marvelous  if  all  the 
world  could  see  and  come  out  of  dark- 
ness, as  Peter  said,  to  his  marvelous 
light,  and  we  have  it  to  offer,  and  we 
invite  all  men  everywhere  to  listen  to 
our  message,  and  I  always  say  that 
there  is  not  an  honest  man  or  an  hon- 
est woman  in  this  world  who  really 
loves  the  Lord  who  would  not  join  this 
Church  if  he  knew  what  it  was. 

Then  this  convert  adds,  "We  never 
knew  of  such  love  as  we  now  have  for 
each  other  and  all  others.  Some  of  our 
former  friends  say  that  they  have  never 
before  witnessed  such  a  change  as  has 
come  over  us." 

My  time  is  up.  God  bless  us,  brothers 
and  sisters,  and  help  us  to  carry  on 
in  the  great  assignment  that  is  ours 
and  bear  witness  of  the  truth  that  the 
world  might  share  with  us  this  marvel- 
ous work  and  a  wonder,  I  pray  and  leave 
my  blessing  with  you  good  people,  in 
the  name  of  the  Lord,  Jesus  Christ. 
Amen. 

President  David  O.  McKay: 

We  have  just  listened  to  Elder  Le- 
Grand  Richards,  a  member  of  the  Council 
of  the  Twelve.  President  Joseph  Fielding 
Smith,  President  of  the  Quorum,  will 
now  address  us.  He  will  be  followed  by 
Elder  Antoine   R.  Ivins. 


PRESIDENT  JOSEPH  FIELDING  SMITH 

Of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 


My  beloved  brethren  and  sisters,  I  feel 
like  I  had  just  passed  through  a  tornado, 
(laughter)  I  did  not  say  that  to  make 
you  laugh.  But  the  Lord  never  blessed 
me  with  a  voice  nor  the  quality  to  ex- 
plode when  I  get  up  to  deliver  a  dis- 
course, so  I  am  deficient  in  those 
things.  I  do  wish  to  say,  however,  that 
I  have  a  testimony  of  this  truth.  I  am 
grateful  for  it.  I  do  not  remember  the 
time  when  I  did  not  believe  in  the  mis- 
sion of  our  Lord  and  Savior  Jesus  Christ 
nor  in  the  mission  of  the  Prophet  Joseph 
Smith,  and  I  hope  you  will  forgive  me 
if  I  get  a  little  personal. 
I  was  trained  at  my  mother's  knee  to 


love  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  and  to 
love  my  Redeemer.  I  never  knew  my 
Grandmother  Smith.  I  have  always 
regretted  that,  because  she  was  one  of 
the  most  noble  women  who  ever  lived, 
but  I  did  know  her  good  sister,  my  Aunt 
Mercy  Thompson,  and  as  a  boy  I  used  to 
go  and  visit  her  in  her  home  and  sit  at 
her  knee,  where  she  told  me  stories 
about  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith,  and, 
oh,  how  grateful  I  am  for  that  experience. 
I  know  that  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ 
of  Latter-day  Saints  is  in  very  deed  the 
kingdom  of  God,  the  same  kingdom  that 
was  seen  by  a  great  king  long  before 
the  birth   of   Christ   in   a  dream   or   a 


ELDER  ANTOINE  R.  1VINS 


45 


vision  that  he  received  that  had  to  be 
interpreted  by  a  prophet  of  the  Lord, 
in  which  the  Lord  made  known  to  that 
king,  not  for  his  benefit,  but  to  the  bene- 
fit of  the  nations  of  the  earth  and  the 
peoples  who  should  follow  after  and 
more  particularly  I  think  for  the  Latter- 
day  Saints  of  this  dispensation,  that  the 
Lord  set  up  a  kingdom,  or  would,  for 
this  king  was  seeing  into  the  future 
to  a  time  when  the  Lord  would  set  up 
a  kingdom  that  would  endure  forever, 
would  never  be  destroyed  or  given  to 
another  people. 

I  have  always  been  very  grateful  for 
the  testimony  coming  to  me  through  the 
Spirit  of  the  Lord  that  Joseph  Smith,  the 
Prophet  of  God,  was  called  to  stand  at 
the  head  of  the  Dispensation  of  the  Ful- 
ness of  Times  when  this  kingdom  would 
be  set  up,  never  to  be  destroyed  or  given 
to  another  people.  That  ought  to  be  an 
anchor  to  our  souls. 

We  have  people  who  go  out  of  the 
Church  from  time  to  time  and  set  up 
organizations  of  their  own,  claiming  that 
the  kingdom  of  God  has  failed,  that 
they  have  something  better.  I  am  sorry 
for  these  people.  I  cannot  believe  that 
any  of  them  are  sincere.  If  they  are, 
then  they  are  to  be  pitied,  but  I  think 
that  they  are  malicious  deceivers,  trying 
to  destroy  the  kingdom  of  God. 

Every  person  coming  into  this  Church 
through  the  waters  of  baptism  has  hands 
laid  upon  his  or  her  head  by  which  they 
are  to  receive  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
to  be  a  guide  to  them  through  time  and 
all  eternity.  I  wonder  how  many  of 
those  who  have  been  baptized  and  con- 
firmed members  of  this  Church  have  so 
lived  that  they  have  had  that  guidance 
and  have  had  the  testimony  come  to 
them  through  the  Holy  Ghost  that  Jo- 
seph Smith  was  a  Prophet  of  God,  that 
Brigham  Young  was  a  successor  in  the 
Presidency  of  the  Church,  and  so  have 
each  of  the  other  brethren  who  have 
been  called  to  that  high  and  holy  calling 


down    through   the   years    to   President 
David  O.  McKay? 

The  Church  has  not  gone  astray.  The 
kingdom  of  God  that  was  set  up  never  to 
be  destroyed  or  given  to  another  people 
is  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter- 
day  Saints,  and  it  is  not  going  to  be 
destroyed,  and  is  not  going  to  be  given 
to  any  other  people.  There  will  be 
members  of  this  Church  because  of 
their  lack  of  faith  and  obedience  to  the 
commandments  of  the  Lord  who  will 
go  astray,  for  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord 
will  not  dwell  in  unclean  tabernacles, 
and  when  a  person  turns  from  the  truth 
through  wickedness,  that  Spirit  does  not 
follow  him  and  departs,  and  in  the 
stead  thereof  comes  the  spirit  of  error, 
the  spirit  of  disobedience,  the  spirit  of 
wickedness,  the  spirit  of  eternal  de- 
struction. 

Brethren  and  sisters,  teach  your  chil- 
dren from  their  infancy  to  believe  in 
Jesus  Christ  as  our  redeemer,  in  Joseph 
Smith  as  a  Prophet  of  God,  and  in  his 
successors  in  this  kingdom,  and  let  them 
grow  up  with  a  knowledge  of  this  truth 
in  their  hearts  built  upon  faith  and  obe- 
dience to  the  commandments  the  Lord 
has  given  to  us  and  through  the  guidance 
of  that  Holy  Spirit  which  will  not 
dwell  in  unclean  tabernacles. 

Now  my  time  is  up.  The  Lord  bless 
you,  my  good  brethren  and  my  good 
sisters  here;  do  not  let  anything  inter- 
fere with  your  faith,  and  if  you  will 
keep  the  commandments  of  the  Lord 
and  be  faithful  and  do  not  forget  your 
prayers  in  humility,  you  will  not  go 
astray;  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.    Amen. 

President  David  O.  McKay: 

President  Joseph  Fielding  Smith  has 
just  concluded  speaking.  Elder  Antoine 
R.  Ivins  of  the  First  Council  of  Seventy 
will  be  our  next  speaker.  He  will  be 
followed  by  Elder  Franklin  D.  Richards. 


ELDER  ANTOINE  R.  IVINS 

Of  the  First  Council  of  the  Seventy 

My     brethren     and     sisters,     President  name  translated  means  Anthony.    It  is 

McKay   was   not   too  far   wrong   when  a  French  translation, 

he   said   that   Anthony   W.    Ivins    [his  I   am   happy  to  be  with  you  today, 

father]  was  going  to  "talk  to  you.     My  my  brethren  and  sisters,  and  I  am  thank- 


46 

Saturday,  April  7 

ful  for  the  many,  many  blessings  which 
my  wife  and  I  enjoy,  especially  that  she 
has  the  measure  of  health  and  strength 
that  enables  her  to  be  in  the  meeting 
today  and  to  be  my  constant  compan- 
ion in  the  work  that  is  assigned  to  me. 
It  is  thirty  years,  my  brethren  and  sisters, 
since  I  first  faced  this  congregation,  that 
is,  it  will  be  in  the  October  conference. 
Those  thirty  years  have  been  filled  with 
many  fine  experiences  as  I  have  worked 
among  the  members  of  the  Church.  I 
trust  that  the  remaining  time  that  may 
be  allotted  to  me  may  be  as  pleasurable 
and  as  beneficial  to  me  as  the  past  has 
been. 

I  am  especially  grateful  today  for  the 
opportunity  that  I  have  had  at  this 
conference  of  saluting  my  friends  from 
the  newly  created  stake  in  Mexico. 
Brother  Juarez  who  was  with  them  when 
I  was  assigned  to  the  presidency  of  the 
Mexican  Mission  was  the  elder  in  charge 
of  all  the  work  in  Mexico.  He  has  gone 
through  the  intervening  years  in  faith 
and  in  service,  and  I  congratulate  him 
on  being  appointed  now  a  bishop  in  that 
new  stake. 

I  pray  that  they  will  carry  back  to 
the  people  of  Mexico  my  good  wishes 
and  my  faith  in  them  and  in  their 
ability  to  realize  the  purpose  for  which 
this  new  stake  was  created. 

I  have  lived  quite  a  bit  more  than 
half  of  the  life  of  the  Church,  and  I 
go  back  in  my  memory  to  the  difficul- 
ties with  which  the  brethren  carried 
on  the  work  of  the  Church  when  I  was 
a  lad.  I  remember  the  opposition  that 
was  created  in  many  sections  of  the 
country  to  the  work  of  the  Church, 
and  then  when  one  sees  the  success  that 
we  are  having  and  the  growth  that  we 
are  realizing  today,  one  marvels  and 
realizes  that  it  really  is  the  work  of  the 
Lord. 

Our  problem,  brethren  and  sisters,  is 
to  move  it  forward,  and  you  brethren 
who  are  in  the  audience  today,  most  of 
you,  are  responsible  officers  in  the 
priesthood  which  you  have  received,  and 
in  that  sense  you  have  a  very  distinct 
obligation  to  your  congregations. 

I  have  been  reading  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment recently,  re-reading,  and  I  find  it 
extremely  interesting.  I  would  like  to 
recommend    it    as    a    following   course 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Second  Day 

for  the  reading  of  the  Book  of  Mormon 
which  was  our  assignment  recently.  I 
read  as  you  have  all  read,  that  state- 
ment about  having  faith  like  a  mus- 
tard seed.  One  wonders  why  the 
mustard  seed  was  chosen — some  think 
because  it  is  small,  that  may  have  been 
the  case — but  it  is  an  interesting  thing 
to  study  a  mustard  seed.  It  is  endowed 
by  God  with  the  power  to  grow  and 
increase  in  size,  in  stature,  and  then 
reproduce  itself.  In  other  words,  that 
mustard  seed  carries  the  perfect  power 
to  realize  the  purpose  for  which  it  was 
created  by  God.  But  we  must  under- 
stand, also,  that  if  it  does  realize  that 
purpose,  conditions  must  be  satisfactory. 
Its  ability  may  be  destroyed  by  frost  or 
drought  or  heat,  but  if  it  falls  into  the 
proper  environment,  it  grows  and  realizes 
its  full  purpose.  I  believe  that  in  the 
heart  of  every  normal  child  that  is  born 
into  this  world  is  that  same  God-given 
power,  and  I  believe,  also,  that  the 
realization  of  that  power  depends,  for 
years  at  least,  upon  external  conditions 
for  which  the  fathers  and  the  mothers 
and  the  neighbors  are  responsible  very 
largely,  until  people  get  to  a  maturity 
where  they  determine  their  own  course 
of  thinking  and  living. 

I  am  not  so  much  worried  about  what 
other  people  do  not  do,  as  I  am  about 
what  we  do  not  do.  We  have  the 
power  as  members  of  the  Church  of 
Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  to  in- 
fluence young  people.  Many  of  us  do 
not  appreciate  and  perhaps  do  not 
understand  this,  and  we  lose,  for  one 
reason  or  another,  the  service  of  many 
wonderful  young  men  and  young  women 
in  the  Church.  We  have  now  a  large 
group  of  men  in  the  Melchizedek  Priest- 
hood who  do  not  appear  to  appreciate 
their  opportunities  and  their  responsi- 
bilities. 

I  have  developed  in  my  ministry  with 
you  a  love  for  people  who  are  in  a  sense 
indifferent  because  of  these  conditions 
over  which  they  had  little  control  earlier 
in  life,  and  I  have  come  to  realize  that 
once  they  can  be  touched  by  the  spirit 
of  God  into  faith  and  activity,  they 
become  wonderful  servants.  I  want 
them  to  understand  that  we  love  them. 
When  one  is  militantly  opposed  to  the 
work  of  the  Church,  we  have  nothing 


ELDER  ANT01NE  R.  WINS 


47 


but  sympathy  for  him.  So  when  we 
realize  the  great  number  of  people  that 
have  not  sensed  their  opportunities  to 
become  active  and  go  through  the 
Aaronic  Priesthood  into  the  Melchizedek 
Priesthood,  then  when  we  realize  the 
number  of  men  who  are  in  the  Mel- 
chizedek Priesthood  who  are  not  active 
in  it,  we  cannot  help  realizing  the  tre- 
mendous responsibility  that  rests  upon 
us  and  how  far  we  come  from  making 
the  perfect  effort  in  the  rearing  of  young 
people  and  placing  them  on  a  firm 
foundation  of  faith,  faith  like  the  mus- 
tard seed.  Now,  if  we  could  properly 
cultivate  those  people  in  their  growing 
years,  they  would  realize  I  think  rather 
fully  the  purposes  for  which  we  are 
here — God-given  purposes  and  God- 
given  powers  that  we  have  which  we 
fail  to  use. 

I  think  that  perhaps  we  are  justified 
in  judging  one's  faith  by  his  activity, 
because  faith  is  what  prompts  activity, 
and  if  we  do  judge  them  by  that  stand- 
ard, we  find  that  there  are  times  when 
many  of  them  are  reported  as  having 
little  faith  because  they  are  reported  as 
inactive  in  the  Church.  Why  cannot 
we  reach  them,  brethren  and  sisters?  We 
cannot  drive  them  into  it,  of  course;  we 
have  to  love  them  into  it  and  give  them 
opportunity  to  help,  because  when  peo- 
ple serve  us,  they  realize  that  they  have 
an  interest  in  us.  I  read  as  a  boy  Benja- 
min Franklin's  Autobiography  in  which 
he  said  that  he  early  learned  that  when 
he  wanted  particular  people  to  have  a 
particular  interest  in  him,  he  had  to 
give  those  particular  people  an  oppor- 
tunity to  do  something  for  him,  and 
perhaps  that  would  be  one  of  our  ap- 
proaches to  these  people,  to  find  some- 
thing that  they  can  do  that  will  divert 
their  interest  and  develop  their  faith 
and  their  testimony.  The  testimony  is 
the  thing  that  has  the  greatest  power 
of  all  in  our  lives,  I  believe. 

When  we  realize  through  receiving  a 
testimony,  which  comes  from  the  Spirit 
of  God,  our  relationship  to  God,  our 
obligation  to  God  our  Father  and  our 
obligation  to  each  other  in  the  Church 
organization,  then  we  devote  ourselves 
to  that  service.  Without  a  testimony  we 
do  little. 


So  our  problem,  brethren  and  sisters, 
with  our  young  people  is  to  develop  in 
their  hearts  the  testimony  which  can 
carry  them  over  those  adolescent  years 
that  are  so  fraught  with  danger  into 
mature  manhood  with  a  testimony  that 
will  impel  them  to  observe  the  com- 
mandments of  God,  that  when  they 
enter  into  the  marriage  relationship,  as 
has  been  suggested,  they  do  it  for  time 
and  for  all  eternity,  so  that  then  they 
can  carry  on — and  only  then  can  they 
carry  on  and  realize  the  full  purpose  for 
which  men  and  women  come  into  this 
world. 

Brethren  and  sisters,  let  us  not  worry 
too  much  about  other  people  but  worry 
about  ourselves.  Brother  Lee  last  night 
said  that  the  only  comparisons  that  he 
thinks  are  of  value  are  the  comparisons 
of  a  person  with  his  past,  of  a  ward 
with  its  past,  of  a  stake  with  its  past. 
Then  if  we  look  at  ourselves,  we  begin, 
if  we  have  the  courage  to  do  it,  to  re- 
vamp our  lives. 

I  remember  making  a  talk  in  Idaho 
one  time  on  repentance.  Repentance  is 
fundamental  to  us,  as  you  all  know,  hut 
after  I  got  through,  a  fine  old  brother 
walked  up  to  me  and  he  said,  "Brother 
Ivins,  that  was  wonderful.  You  hit  my 
neighbor  right  square  on  top  of  the 
head."  And  a  young  man  followed  him 
up  and  he  said,  "Brother  Ivins,  it  was 
good,  and  you  were  talking  to  me  all 
the  time."  That  is  our  problem,  breth- 
ren and  sisters,  to  take  to  heart  the  in- 
structions we  get  through  the  scriptures 
we  read  and  from  the  brethren  who 
stand  to  teach  us. 

May  we  have  the  strength  and  the 
power  to  face  ourselves  squarely  and 
then  take  advantage  of  the  opportunities 
presented  in  order  to  acquit  ourselves 
creditably  of  our  responsibility  to  each 
other  and  to  God  our  Heavenly  Father, 
I  pray  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ. 
Amen. 

President  David  O.  McKay: 

Elder  Antoine  R.  Ivins  of  the  First 
Council  of  the  Seventy  has  just  spoken 
to  us.  He  will  be  followed  by  Elder 
Franklin  D.  Richards,  Assistant  to  the 
Twelve. 


48 

Saturday,  April  7 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

ELDER  FRANKLIN  D.  RICHARDS 

Assistant  to  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 


Second  Day 


My  dear  brothers  and  sisters,  I  have 
enjoyed  the  spirit  of  this  conference  as 
you  have — the  beautiful  music  that  has 
been  rendered  and  the  wonderful  coun- 
sel that  has  been  given  us  by  our  Prophet 
and  the  other  leaders  that  have  spoken 
to  us. 

Truly,  "The  Spirit  of  God  like  a  fire 
is  burning,"  and  the  "veil  o'er  the  earth 
is  beginning  to  burst."  (William  W. 
Phelps.) 

This  is  so  noticeable  as  we  travel 
throughout  the  missions.  Since  the  first 
of  the  year  Sister  Richards  and  I  have 
visited  all  of  the  eight  eastern  American 
missions  from  Canada  to  Florida.  We 
have  met  with  more  than  1,700  mission- 
aries and  thousands  of  Saints.  I  would 
like  to  report  that  their  spirit  is  wonder- 
ful, and  they  are  very  happy  and 
dedicated.  The  "Every  Member  a  Mis- 
sionary" program  is  being  used  more  and 
more,  and  convert  baptisms  are  double 
those  of  a  year  ago. 

President  McKay,  in  the  film,  "Every 
Member  a  Missionary,"  stated  that  the 
purpose  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  is 
to  change  men's  lives,  to  change  human 
nature.  Does  this  mean  "to  be  born 
again"?  Brothers  and  sisters,  I  am  cer- 
tain it  does.  The  Savior,  in  speaking  to 
Nicodemus,  said,  ".  .  .  Except  a  man  be 
born  again  he  cannot  see  the  kingdom 
of  God."  (John  3:3.)  Nicodemus  replied: 
"How  can  a  man  be  born  when  he  is 
old?  .  .  ." 

The  Savior  then  answered,  ".  .  . 
Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  thee,  Except 
a  man  be  born  of  water  and  of  the 
Spirit,  he  cannot  enter  into  the  kingdom 
of  God.  .  .  .  Marvel  not  that  I  said  unto 
thee,  Ye  must  be  born  again."  (Ibid., 
3:3-7.) 

Invariably  missionaries  testify  that 
their  greatest  joy  and  happiness  comes 
from  seeing  men  and  women  born  again 
as  they  are  baptized.  Yes,  in  seeing  the 
change  that  comes  into  their  lives  as 
they  accept  and  live  the  simple  gospel 
truths.  Missionaries  are  truly  seeing 
miracles  occur  in  the  lives  of  the  con- 
verts they  baptize  as  they  accept  the 
gospel  of  Jesus  Christ. 


In  the  eight  eastern  American  mis- 
sions, convert  baptisms  in  1960  were 
4,527;  in  1961,  10,209,  and  for  the  first 
three  months  of  this  year  are  more 
than  double  a  year  ago.  Recently  I  re- 
ceived a  letter  from  the  members  and 
missionaries  of  the  Elkins  (West  Vir- 
ginia) Branch  which  indicates  what  is 
happening.    Let  me  quote  a  part  of  it. 

"We  as  missionaries  and  members  of 
the  Elkins  Branch  are  so  thrilled  with 
the  success  and  growth  of  our  branch 
that  we  want  to  write  and  tell  you  about 
it.  We  have  been  blessed  with  this 
growth  since  you  came  a  year  ago  and 
told  us  of  the  'Every  Member  a  Mis- 
sionary' plan.  In  the  five  years  from 
1955  through  1960  there  were  42  con- 
verts baptized  in  the  Elkins  Branch. 
With  the  'Every  Member  a  Missionary' 
program  we,  as  a  team  in  the  Elkins 
Branch,  began  to  ask  people  the  Golden 
Questions,  and  those  that  wanted  to 
know  about  the  Church  we  invited  into 
our  homes  for  group  meetings.  Because 
of  this  the  Lord  blessed  our  branch 
membership  with  121  convert  baptisms 
in  1961,  which  nearly  doubled  our 
branch  membership. 

"Yes,  121  convert  baptisms  in  1961 
compared  with  42  in  the  five  years  be- 
fore. In  the  first  two  months  of  1962 
the  Lord  has  blessed  us  with  51  con- 
vert baptisms,  which  is  almost  half  of 
the  total  number  of  baptisms  in   1961. 

"The  branch  president  and  his  family 
have  been  having  group  meetings  in 
their  home  regularly  for  all  age  groups. 
By  their  screening  the  people  through 
asking  the  Golden  Questions  before  they 
invite  them  into  their  home,  the  mission- 
aries have  baptized  about  20  people  from 
this  one  family's  meetings  alone.  The 
effect  it  has  had  is  tremendous.  The 
people  are  really  baptismal  conscious 
and  are  doing  everything  they  can  to 
have  group  meetings. 

"We  testify  to  you  that  asking  the 
Golden  Questions  and  having  group 
meetings  is  a  very  effective  way  to  bring 
souls  into  the  Kingdom  of  God.  The 
love,  enthusiasm,  and  spirituality  has 
never  been  higher,    We  love  to  baptize 


ELDER  FRANKLIN  D.  RICHARDS 


49 


people."  Signed,  The  Elkins  Branch 
members  and  missionaries. 

Again,  in  the  Oakridge,  (Tennessee), 
Branch  there  were  twenty-three  convert 
baptisms  in  1961,  and  in  January  and 
February  of  this  year  there  were  thirty — 
more  in  the  first  two  months  of  this 
year  than  all  of  last  year. 

At  Louisville,  Kentucky,  the  East 
Central  States  Mission  office  staff  of  five 
missionaries,  by  holding  group  meetings 
Sundays  and  evenings,  baptized  124 
wonderful  converts  in  the  year  1961. 

At  a  recent  stake  conference  in  Cali- 
fornia, a  great  deal  of  interest  and 
enthusiasm  was  shown  in  the  "Every 
Member  a  Missionary"  program.  After 
the  morning  session  a  woman  came  up 
and  introduced  herself  and  presented  her 
friend,  saying,  "She  is  mine."  Both  of 
their  faces  reflected  great  joy  and  happi- 
ness. Then  she  explained  that  she  had 
asked  her  friend  the  Golden  Questions, 
and  her  friend  replied  that  she  was 
interested  and  would  like  to  know  more 
about  the  Church.  The  woman  then  ar- 
ranged for  the  missionaries  to  come  to 
her  home  and  teach  her  friend  the 
beautiful  truths  of  the  gospel  as  con- 
tained in  the  six  discussions.  Her  friend 
prayed,  studied,  and  attended  Church 
to  further  her  understanding.  She  soon 
gained   a  testimony  and  was  baptized. 

No  wonder  this  good  sister  felt  so 
much  joy  as  she  put  her  arm  around 
her  friend,  and  said,  "She  is  mine." 

Are  you  one  of  those  who  are  wonder- 
ing about  the  spirit  of  the  missionaries? 
I  tell  you  as  a  whole  they  have  never 
been  happier;  they  have  never  worked 
more  effectively  and  have  never  been 
more  richly  rewarded.  The  great  num- 
ber of  convert  baptisms  are  their  reward. 
Who  does  the  Lord's  work  gets  the 
Lord's  pay.  Yes,  they  are  reaping  while 
the  day  lasts,  that  they  may  treasure 
up  for  their  souls  everlasting  salvation 
in  the  kingdom  of  God. 

Recently  I  received  a  letter  from  a 
sister  in  Athens,  Tennessee.  She  had 
been  searching  for  the  truth  for  forty- 
five  years,  and  when  she  heard  the 
gospel,  she  knew  she  had  found  what 
she  was  looking  for.  The  missionaries 
met  her  in  October  1960,  and  she  was 
baptized  November  23.  When  she  was 
baptized,  she  was  the  only  member  in 
Athens.     Within  three  months  five  of 


her  family  and  friends  had  been  bap- 
tized, having  been  influenced  by  her 
powerful  testimony.  Now  a  little  more 
than  a  year  later  they  have  a  branch 
of  thirty,  with  a  Sunday  School,  MIA, 
and  Primary.  This  sister  is  quite  typical 
of  the  many  converts  coming  into  the 
Church  at  this  time. 

Increased  membership  in  the  Church 
requires  more  and  larger  chapels  for 
worship,  for  teaching,  and  for  cultural 
purposes.  Last  year  there  were  twenty 
beautiful  chapels  completed  in  the  eight 
eastern  American  missions.  This  year 
there  are  forty-two  new  chapels  either 
under  construction  or  soon  to  start.  Also 
in  the  east  coast  stakes  many  more  new 
chapels  or  additions  to  present  chapels 
are  being  started.  Adequate  places  to 
hold  church  services  are  really  wonder- 
ful missionary  aids. 

Of  particular  interest  is  the  site  re- 
cently purchased  in  New  York  City,  just 
off  Fifth  Avenue  between  57th  and  58th 
streets.  The  proposed  construction  of  a 
church  facility  at  this  site  received  na- 
tionwide publicity  and  opened  many 
doors  and  minds  to  the  missionaries. 
Also,  with  the  increased  membership 
on  the  east  coast  more  districts  are 
becoming  ready  for  stake  organizations. 
Three  stakes  have  been  organized  within 
the  last  few  months,  and  twelve  more 
areas  are  presently  under  consideration. 
There  are  now  fifteen  stakes  in  the  area 
of  the  eight  eastern  American  missions. 

I  was  especially  pleased  to  be  selected 
to  accompany  Elder  Delbert  L.  Stapley 
to  organize  the  Cumorah  Stake  at 
Palmyra,  New  York,  the  birthplace  of 
the  Church.  I  tell  you  the  Spirit  of 
the  Lord  and  that  of  the  Prophet  Joseph 
was  truly  there. 

Yes,  my  brothers  and  sisters,  the  Spirit 
of  the  Lord  is  being  poured  out  upon 
all  flesh,  and  men's  hearts  are  being 
softened.  One  branch  president  in  the 
east  asked  me,  "How  long  is  this  mis- 
sionary explosion  going  on  in  the 
Church?"  The  answer  is  found  in  the 
sixty-fifth  section  of  the  Doctrine  and 
Covenants,  verse  2. 

"The  keys  of  the  kingdom  of  God  are 
committed  unto  man  on  the  earth,  and 
from  thence  shall  the  gospel  roll  forth 
unto  the  ends  of  the  earth,  as  the  stone 
which  is  cut  out  of  the  mountain  with- 


50 

Saturday,  April  7 

out  hands  shall  roll  forth,  until  it  has 
filled  the  whole  earth." 

This  prophecy  cannot  be  fulfilled  by 
the  full-time  missionaries  and  the  part- 
time  missionaries  alone.  It  is  necessary 
for  "Every  member  to  be  a  missionary," 
as  our  Prophet  has  declared. 

Let  me  again  remind  you  how  you  can 
be  a  missionary.  First,  by  living  the 
gospel  so  that  others  seeing  your  good 
works  may  be  led  to  join  the  Church; 
by  asking  your  friends  and  neighbors 
what  they  know  about  the  Church,  and 
if  they  would  like  to  know  more.  Many 
will  say  yes.  Then,  invite  them  into 
your  homes,  and  have  the  missionaries, 
stake  or  full-time,  give  them  the  simple 
gospel  discussions. 

Take  your  friends  who  want  to  know 
more  about  the  Church  to  our  Church 
meetings,  and  love  them  into  the 
Church.  When  the  people  who  want 
to  know  more  about  the  Church  do  not 
live  near  you,  send  their  names,  ad- 
dresses, and  telephone  numbers  to  the 
nearest  stake  or  mission  where  they  live. 

In  the  beautiful  hymn,  "Praise  to  the 
Man,"  we  sing:  "Wake  up  the  world 
for  the  conflict  of  justice.  Millions  shall 
know  'Brother  Joseph'  again."  (William 
W.  Phelps.)  I  love  the  Prophet  Joseph 
Smith,  and  I  am  certain  that  as  this 
great  missionary  work  goes  forward, 
millions  will  know  Brother  Joseph  again. 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Second  Day 

Brothers  and  sisters,  I  know  that  our 
Father  in  heaven  lives;  that  Jesus  is  the 
Christ,  the  Only  Begotten  of  the  Father 
in  the  flesh.  I  bear  witness  that  Joseph 
Smith  is  one  of  the  great  prophets  of  all 
time;  and  that  we  have  a  great  prophet 
at  the  head  of  the  Church  at  this  time. 

David  O.  McKay  is  one  of  the  great- 
est missionaries  that  has  ever  lived,  and 
I  sustain,  love,  and  support  him.  May 
the  Lord  bless  us  that  we  may,  each 
and  every  one  of  us,  be  missionaries,  I 
pray  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 

President  David  O.  McKay: 

Elder  Franklin  D.  Richards,  Assistant 
to  the  Twelve,  has  just  spoken  to  us. 
The  Ricks  College  Choir  will  now  lead 
the  Congregation,  under  Brother  Richard 
W.  Robison,  in  singing,  "O  Say,  What 
is  Truth?"  Elder  Nathan  E.  Tanner  will 
follow. 

The  Ricks  College  Choir  and  the 
Congregation  joined  in  singing  the 
hymn,  "O  Say,  What  Is  Truth?" 

President  David  O.  McKay: 

Elder  Nathan  Eldon  Tanner,  Assist- 
ant to  the  Twelve  and  President  of  the 
West  European  Mission,  will  now  speak 
to  us.  He  will  be  followed  by  Elder 
Theodore  M.  Burton. 


ELDER  NATHAN  ELDON  TANNER 

Assistant  to  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 


President  McKay,  my  beloved  brethren 
and  sisters,  after  listening  to  this  wonder- 
ful music  and  these  inspiring  talks  that 
we  have  heard  in  conference  and  facing 
this  vast  body  of  priesthood  and  these 
fine  women,  I  had  a  strong  feeling,  as 
someone  has  said,  that  the  greatest  elo- 
quence I  could  indulge  in  would  be 
silence.  However,  I  have  been  called, 
and  in  all  humility  I  want  to  say  that 
I  love  and  sustain  President  David  O. 
McKay  as  the  prophet  of  the  Lord  and 
all  these  wonderful  brethren  associated 
with  him  and  express  my  appreciation 
to  them  for  the  great  strength  and  in- 
spiration that  they  have  been  to  me 
as  I  am  sure  they  have  been  to  all  of  you. 

I  should  also  like  to  express  my  sincere 
appreciation  of  the  fine,  devoted  leader- 


ship and  the  faithful  members  through- 
out this  Church. 

Sister  Tanner  and  I  are  most  grate- 
ful for  the  privilege  and  honor  that 
came  to  us  just  a  year  ago,  when  we 
were  called  to  serve  in  this  great  mis- 
sionary work,  to  cry  repentance  unto 
this  people  and  seek  to  bring  forth  the 
cause  of  Zion. 

We  sincerely  hope  and  continually 
pray  that  we  shall  prove  worthy  of  the 
call,  and  I  humbly  pray  this  morning, 
that  the  Lord  will  bless  me  while  I  speak 
to  you. 

I  wish,  first,  to  recognize  the  presence 
of  the  faithful  representatives  of  the 
stake  presidents  and  bishoprics  and 
branch  presidents  from  the  stakes  in 
Great  Britain  and  in  Holland.    Nearly 


ELDER  NATHAN  ELDON  TANNER 


51 


every  one  of  them  is  in  the  Church  be- 
cause of  some  dedicated  missionary  who 
was  prepared  and  privileged  to  take  the 
gospel  message  to  those  foreign  lands. 

President  McKay,  I  bring  you  and  the 
Saints  here  greetings  from  all  the  Saints 
in  the  stakes  and  missions  of  the  West 
European  area  and  also  from  those  de- 
voted missionaries  and  mission  presi- 
dents and  their  wives  that  are  laboring 
there. 

We  were  very  happy  to  have  had  the 
privilege  during  the  last  few  months 
of  traveling  with  and  being  built  up  by 
President  and  Sister  Moyle  and  their 
two  daughters  and  Brother  and  Sister 
Spencer  W.  Kimball  and  Brother  and 
Sister  Howard  W.  Hunter  while  they 
visited  our  missions  and  stakes.  The 
wonderful  spirit  that  they  radiated  and 
the  encouragement  and  help  that  they 
gave  to  the  missionaries  and  the  officers 
and  members  and  investigators  will  be 
felt  for  years  to  come. 

At  our  servicemen's  conference  when 
President  Moyle  spoke  to  those  men  and 
women,  I  shall  never  forget  the  in- 
fluence and  the  impact  that  it  had  on 
them  and  will  have  in  their  lives. 
At  this  time  I  should  like  to  say  how 
I  appreciate  those  servicemen  who  are 
members  of  our  Church  and  their  devo- 
tion as  they  go  forward  in  the  work  of 
the  Lord.  It  is  an  inspiration  to  me 
to  see  young  men  of  that  caliber  labor- 
ing throughout  the  world,  and  realize 
that  they  are  doing  the  work  of  the 
Lord,  trying  to  keep  the  members  of  the 
Church  together  in  groups  and  helping 
to  spread  the  gospel  wherever  they  go. 

Two  young  returned  missionaries  in 
France,  who  are  now  in  the  armed 
services,  told  me  that  last  year  they 
baptized  more  people  while  in  the  serv- 
ice than  they  did  in  the  two  years  that 
they  were  in  the  mission  field  in  France. 

We  have  over  1,600  missionaries  in 
the  West  European  Mission,  most  of 
whom  we  have  seen  and  heard  and  in- 
terviewed since  the  first  of  the  year. 
They  all  send  their  love  and  best 
wishes  to  their  parents  and  loved  ones 
and  to  those  who  are  helping  to  keep 
them  in  the  mission  field. 

Inasmuch  as  these  missionaries  are 
across  the  ocean  in  those  foreign  lands 
and  therefore  seem  farther  from  home, 
I  should  like  to  say  a  few  words  about 


the  work  they  are  doing  and  condi- 
tions over  there.  It  is  certainly  a  priv- 
ilege and  a  blessing  to  be  associated  with 
these  missionaries,  to  hear  them  bear 
their  testimonies  and  tell  of  their  ex- 
periences as  they  go  forward  as  ambassa- 
dors of  the  Lord.  Last  year  they  baptized 
over  16,000  converts,  which  is  an  aver- 
age of  approximately  one  each  month 
for  every  missionary  in  the  West  Euro- 
pean Mission.  In  France,  the  two  mis- 
sions last  year  baptized  nearly  twice  as 
many  people  as  were  baptized  in  the 
whole  of  the  British  Isles  in  1958.  A  few 
years  ago  this  would  have  been  con- 
sidered entirely  impossible.  To  hear  the 
testimonies  of  these  new  members  and 
to  see  the  changes  that  come  into  their 
lives  as  they  accept  the  truths  of  the 
gospel  and  become  active  members  of 
the  Church  is  an  inspiration  indeed. 

Since  the  beginning  of  the  year,  two 
new  missions  have  been  established  in 
the  British  Isles.  The  British  Mission 
has  been  divided  into  the  British  and 
the  Southwest  British  Missions,  and  the 
Scottish-Irish  Mission  has  become  the 
Scottish  Mission  and  the  Irish  Mission. 
This  makes  six  missions  in  the  British 
Isles. 

The  organization  of  two  new  stakes 
is  being  recommended. 

In  order  to  provide  building  accom- 
modations for  the  increasing  member- 
ship, we  have  labor — I  prefer  calling 
them  church-building-missionaries — em- 
ployed throughout  the  mission,  help- 
ing to  build  chapels  while  at  the  same 
time  they  are  becoming  real,  substantial 
members  of  the  Church. 

While  this  outstanding  growth  is  go- 
ing forward,  and  so  many  people  are 
being  brought  into  the  Church,  the  mis- 
sionaries themselves  are  developing  into 
fine  men  and  women  who  will  become 
very  strong  leaders  of  the  Church.  It 
is  a  heart-warming  experience  which 
brings  tears  to  your  eyes  to  hear  them 
express  their  love  and  appreciation  for 
their  parents  and  the  influence  they 
have  had  in  their  lives  and  the  privilege 
they  have  of  being  on  a  mission. 

The  joy  and  happiness  which  they 
experience  in  bringing  people  into  the 
Church  can  be  excelled  only  by  that 
which  some  of  them  have  as  they 
hear  of  increased  interest  and  activities 
at  home.       It  is  really  a  humbling  ex- 


52 

Saturday,  April  7 

perience  to  see  a  big,  strong  young  man 
break  down  and  cry  as  he  says,  "The 
greatest  thrill  in  my  life  was  when 
I  heard  that  dad  has  now  become  active 
in  the  Church,  and  that  when  I  return 
home  we  will  be  able  to  go  to  the 
temple  and  there  be  sealed  as  a  family 
for  time  and  all  eternity."  And  to  hear 
another  express  his  joy,  love,  and  ap- 
preciation and  thank  his  Heavenly 
Father  that  his  dad,  who  was  not  a 
member  of  the  Church,  but  who  has 
been  keeping  him  on  a  mission,  has  now 
joined  the  Church  is  a  thrilling  experi- 
ence, indeed. 

Again,  may  I  repeat  that  while  these 
missionaries  are  doing  a  marvelous  work 
in  bringing  people  into  the  Church 
they  are  at  the  same  time  developing 
into  men  and  women  of  whom  we  can 
all  be  proud  and  whose  testimonies  and 
experience  will  not  only  carry  them 
through  life  with  a  strong  determina- 
tion to  live  the  kind  of  life  they  should 
but  will  add  greatly  to  the  strength  of 
the  Church. 

In  spite  of  the  deep-rooted  traditions 
and  strong  prejudices  which  exist  in 
those  old  countries  and  which  present 
some  real  problems,  we  find  one  thing 
which  is  most  encouraging  and  that  is 
that  people  from  all  stations  in  life, 
including  professors,  doctors,  lawyers, 
and  successful  businessmen,  are  show- 
ing an  interest  in  and  are  becoming 
members  of  the  Church  today. 

Just  a  few  weeks  ago,  six  young  mis- 
sionaries and  I  were  invited  to  partici- 
pate in  a  telecast  one  Sunday  evening  in 
London  in  which  we  were  interrogated  in 
a  panel  discussion  by  a  member  of  the 
House  of  Commons.  The  questions  were 
very  fair,  and  we  were  given  an  op- 
portunity to  answer  them  without 
interruption.  The  way  those  young  men 
responded  was  a  real  credit  to  the  Church. 

Just  a  few  days  later,  again  in  London, 
there  was  a  full  hour  broadcast  on  BBC 
under  the  direction  of  Mr.  Charles  Chil- 
ton of  the  BBC,  who  is  not  a  member 
of  the  Church,  whom  some  of  you 
know  personally  because  of  his  having 
spent  some  time  in  Salt  Lake  City.  I 
should  like  to  read  to  you  the  announce- 
ment that  appeared  in  the  Radio-Times 
the  day  the  program  was  presented.  It 
is  entitled  "The  Mormons": 

"What    is    a   Mormon?     The   usual 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Second  Day 

reply  to  that  question  is  something  like 
this:  'O  I  would  say  the  people  whose 
religion  allows  them  dozens  of  wives.' 
It  did  once,  but  it  doesn't  any  longer. 
Polygamy  was  officially  outlawed  more 
than  seventy  years  ago  and  less  than  3% 
of  the  Mormon  community  ever  in- 
dulged in  it.  The  Mormon  Church,  or 
to  give  it  its  correct  name,  The  Church 
of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints,  was 
founded  in  1830  by  Joseph  Smith,  the 
son  of  a  pioneer  farmer  of  New  York 
State.  Although  avid  Bible-readers  and 
regular  holders  of  family  prayers,  few 
frontier  families  of  those  days  belonged 
to  an  organized  church.  However,  in 
1820  a  great  missionary  campaign  was 
launched  by  Presbyterians,  Methodists, 
Baptists,  and  other  churches  with  the 
object  of  converting  the  settlers  to  their 
own  particular  faiths.  Thousands  of 
people  were  converted,  including  Mrs. 
Smith  and  three  of  her  children,  but 
not  Joseph.  'There  were,'  he  said,  'too 
many  sects  from  which  to  choose,'  and 
all  of  them  declared  themselves  to  be 
the  only  true  church  which,  of  course, 
was  not  possible.  He  decided  to  ask 
God  for  guidance,  and  he  prayed  and 
had  a  vision  in  which  he  was  told  the 
true  Church  of  God  would  soon  be  re- 
vealed to  him.  How  the  new  church 
was  formed  and  how  its  members  were 
persecuted  and  how  at  last,  wandering 
to  and  fro  along  and  beyond  the  west- 
ern frontiers,  they  founded  a  new  Zion 
in  the  valley  of  the  Great  Salt  Lake,  will 
be  told  in  'This  Is  the  Place'  tonight." 

Then  in  the  Daily  Express,  the  Man- 
chester edition  preceding  the  program, 
we  read: 

"BBC  plans  program  on  Mormons. 
The  program  will  tell  how  the  faith 
was  founded  in  New  York  and  hounded 
across  America." 

The  program  started  with  a  very  brief 
history  of  Joseph  Smith,  the  Prophet, 
when  he  was  just  a  boy  and  carried  right 
through  with  his  history  until  his 
martyrdom.  It  told  of  the  missionary 
work  in  Great  Britain,  the  people  leav- 
ing there  and  crossing  the  waters  and 
then  the  plains,  the  many  trials  and 
tribulations  of  the  Saints  as  they  were 
driven  from  place  to  place,  and  how 
unfair  the  people  and  the  governments 
had  been  to  them.  It  told  of  the  Mor- 
mon Battalion,  the  Indians,  the  crickets, 


ELDER  NATHAN  ELDON  TANNER 


53 


the  sea  gulls,  and  the  building  of  the 
temple  which  was  all  presented  dra- 
matically. Those  who  took  part  were 
all  well-trained  British  artists,  and  the 
choruses  were  beautifully  rendered. 

Following  the  program  we  read  in  the 
Oxford  Mail,  under  the  big  headline 
"Not  Nearly  Enough  of  the  Mormon 
Story,"  these  comments: 

"The  story  of  the  Mormons,  'This  Is 
the  Place,'  really  only  scraped  the  sur- 
face of  a  fascinating  history.  The  tale 
of  the  trek  out  west  to  found  Salt  Lake 
City  was  over-full  of  breaks  and  music. 
Joseph  Smith,  the  founder  of  the  Church 
of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints,  to 
give  Mormons  their  full  name,  and 
Brigham  Young,  who  chose  the  spot 
on  which  to  build  Salt  Lake  City,  are 
pioneers  of  stature,  who  had  to  be  cut 
down  to  smaller  size  to  fit  them  into 
this  program. 

"Too  many  questions  about  the  Mor- 
mon way  of  life  remained  unanswered. 
Certainly  there  is  plenty  of  material 
available  if  some  one  would  care  to  dig 
a  little  deeper." 

These  programs,  along  with  others  in 
which  our  people  have  participated, 
have  created  much  interest  and  opened 
hundreds  of  doors  to  our  missionaries. 
While  this  kind  of  program  is  being 
sponsored  by  some,  there  are  those  who 
are  strongly  opposed  to  our  being  there 
and  to  everything  we  do.  Others  want 
to  know  more  about  our  beliefs.  I  could 
give  you  many  experiences,  personal 
and  otherwise,  but  I  should  like  to  re- 
late briefly  the  experience  of  a  very 
talented  and  educated  young  Oxford 
graduate  who  is  an  Egyptian  by  birth. 
He  studied  and  practised  law  in  Cairo; 
he  has  taught  law  in  the  law  schools 
of  Luxembourg,  he  speaks  six  different 
languages  including  Arabic,  Hebraic, 
Italian,  French,  German,  and  English, 
and  teaches  now  in  the  London  Univer- 
sity. When  he  first  read  the  Book  of 
Mormon,  he  was  greatly  impressed  by 
the  style  in  which  it  was  written.  He 
noted  that  it,  like  the  Semitic  language, 
so  often  had  sentences  begin  with  the 
conjunction  "behold"  and  with  the 
phrase  "and  it  came  to  pass."  He  was 
also  impressed  by  the  fact  that  names 
used  throughout  the  book  were  names 
which    occur   so   often   in   the   Semitic 


language.  He  knew  that  an  uneducated 
youth  could  not  have  translated  or 
written  this  book.  He  noted,  too,  that 
Joseph  Smith  took  no  credit  for  its  au- 
thorship but  claimed  that  it  was  trans- 
lated by  the  power  of  God.  He  accepted 
Joseph  Smith's  claim  without  doubt  as 
he  knew  that  this  was  the  only  way 
the  book  could  have  been  written. 

As  the  missionaries  taught  him  the 
principles  of  the  gospel,  he  joined  with 
them  in  childlike  faith  in  praying  to 
his  Heavenly  Father  that  he  might  have 
an  understanding  of  the  gospel.  His 
prayers  were  answered,  and  he  learned 
by  the  Spirit  that  he  had  found  the 
truth.  He  was  converted  to  the  Church 
with  a  deep  and  abiding  testimony.  He 
is  an  able  and  strong  advocate  of  the 
gospel  and  defender  of  the  Book  of 
Mormon  which  he  knows  is  true. 

This  is  only  one  of  many  experiences 
which  are  most  encouraging  to  the  mis- 
sionaries and  the  Saints  and  help  to 
strengthen  their  testimonies  as  they  hear 
of  them. 

I,  too,  wish  to  bear  my  testimony  to 
you  today  that  the  gospel  has  been  re- 
stored in  these  the  latter-days,  that  God 
the  Eternal  Father  and  his  Son  Jesus 
Christ  did  appear  to  the  boy  Joseph 
Smith,  that  he  was  chosen  as  a  prophet 
of  God  with  apostles  at  the  head  of  the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day 
Saints,  that  we  have  the  same  organiza- 
tion that  existed  in  the  Primitive 
Church,  that  the  priesthood  has  been 
restored  and  that  we  have  a  prophet  and 
apostles  of  God  at  the  head  of  the 
Church  today,  and  that  the  same  simple 
truths  and  principles  are  taught  and 
ordinances  performed  and  by  the  same 
authority  as  at  the  time  of  Christ,  and 
that  the  way  is  open  whereby  every  man 
may  be  baptized  by  water  and  by  the 
spirit  and  thereby  enter  into  the  king- 
dom of  God.  This  is  my  testimony,  in 
the  name  of  Jesus  Christ.    Amen. 

President  David  O.  McKay: 

Elder  Nathan  Eldon  Tanner,  Assist- 
ant to  the  Twelve  and  President  of  the 
West  European  Mission,  has  just  ad- 
dressed us.  Elder  Theodore  M.  Burton, 
also  an  Assistant  to  the  Twelve  and  at 
present  President  of  the  European  Mis- 
sion,  will   be   our   concluding   speaker. 


54 

Saturday,  April  7 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

ELDER  THEODORE  M.  BURTON 

Assistant  to  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 


Second  Day 


My  dear  brothers  and  sisters,  I  am  truly 
grateful  for  the  privilege  I  have  of  being 
here  this  day  and  for  the  opportunity  I 
have  of  bearing  my  testimony  to  you 
of  the  divinity  of  this  work.  It  has  been 
a  great  privilege  to  go  back  again  to 
Europe  and  to  work  again  with  the  peo- 
ple that  I  love  so  much.  I  have  had 
already  many  wonderful  experiences 
and  have  been  impressed  again  by  the 
strength  of  the  people  in  those  lands. 

Very  recently  I  read  an  article  in 
Der  Abendpost,  one  of  the  German 
newspapers  in  Frankfurt,  Germany.  On 
Friday,  March  16,  this  paper  published 
a  letter  from  Dr.  Martin  Niemoeller. 
He  is  the  president  of  the  Lutheran 
Church  in  Germany,  which  is  there 
known  as  the  "Evangelische  Kirche."  In 
the  paper  he  defended  a  statement  he 
had  made  previously  that  eighty  percent 
of  those  of  his  church  who  paid  taxes  to 
the  church  and  therefore  could  be  con- 
sidered nominal  members  are  atheists 
who  do  not  believe  in  God.  Dr.  Nie- 
moeller stated  in  a  letter  to  the  paper 
that  he  had  based  his  announcement  on 
his  memory  of  a  questionnaire  which 
had  been  compiled  and  published  in  a 
German  newspaper  during  the  past  year. 

One  of  the  questions  asked  by  the 
newspaper  was  whether  the  receiver  of 
the  questionnaire  believed  in  the 
existence  of  God.  The  published  re- 
sult was  that  eighty  percent  had 
answered  that  question  in  the  ques- 
tionnaire with  a  clear  and  emphatic 
"no."  Dr.  Niemoeller  said  that  he  had 
not  made  the  statement  to  wake  up  the 
atheistic  eighty  percent  to  a  belief  in 
God,  but  to  show  the  one  hundred 
percent  of  the  people  who  lived  in  that 
area,  who  were  members  of  his  church, 
that  they  were  now  co-existing  in  an 
atheistic  society  and  that  the  so-called 
western  nations  could  not  use  the  ex- 
cuse that  those  in  the  west  were  Chris- 
tians while  those  in  the  communist 
nations  were  atheistic.  His  thesis, 
simply,  was  this,  that  the  western  na- 
tions were  just  as  atheistic  as  the  com- 
munist countries. 


which  has  established  many  missions  in 
that  area  and  has  sent  literally  thou- 
sands of  missionaries  there  to  bear 
testimony  of  the  divinity  of  Jesus  Christ 
in  that  land,  is  clearly  justified.  The 
action  of  the  Church  in  bearing  witness 
in  that  area  is  absolutely  necessary. 
Therefore,  I  am  glad  that  I  have  had  the 
privilege  of  again  being  a  missionary  in 
that  area  and  that  we  have  such  mis- 
sions of  our  Church  in  Europe. 

I  am  grateful  to  report  that  the  work 
is  progressing  in  Europe.  The  Church 
is  growing  rapidly  in  numbers  of  mem- 
bers, and  spirituality  among  our  people 
there  is  increasing.  One  of  the  astound- 
ing things  which  has  pleased  me  tre- 
mendously has  been  the  increase  in 
leadership  among  our  people.  I  do  not 
think  that  anything  could  be  made 
more  clear  as  to  this  leadership  than 
something  which  happened  during  the 
month  of  February. 

In  February  of  this  year  we  had  a 
terrible  storm  which  crashed  down  upon 
northern  Europe.  The  wind  blowing 
in  from  the  North  Sea  drove  the  water 
up  the  rivers,  and  we  had  a  terrible 
flood  in  the  area  around  Hamburg.  We 
were  very  concerned.  I  happened  to  be 
touring  the  North  German  mission  at 
that  particular  time  with  President 
Maycock.  On  Friday  evening  when  we 
left  Altona  and  drove  through  Hamburg 
on  our  way  to  Bremen,  we  passed  along 
the  levee  and  noticed  that  the  water 
was  rising.  Some  of  the  cars  were  al- 
ready partially  under  water,  and  not 
much  more  than  ten  minutes  after  we 
passed  the  water  came  in  and  flowed 
over  the  very  road  that  we  had  been 
traveling.  At  that  time  we  did  not 
realize  how  serious  conditions  were. 
Although  we  knew  that  the  water  was 
high,  we  spent  the  night  in  Bremen, 
held  our  missionary  conference  there 
the  next  day,  and  as  soon  as  I  returned  to 
Frankfurt  by  air  I  telephoned  to  find 
out  how  things  were,  for  I  heard  that 
President  Maycock  could  not  get  back 
to  Hamburg  because  the  roads  were 
under  water. 


The  missionary  effort  of  our  Church,  I  had  reports  from  that  area  on  Sat- 


ELDER  THEODORE  M.  BURTON 


55 


urday  night,  and  the  president  of  the 
stake  said  they  had  things  in  hand  and 
were  working  to  care  for  the  people 
but  were  concerned  about  some  of  the 
members.  The  amazing  thing  was  the 
way  our  wonderful  brethren  there  im- 
mediately sprang  into  action  and  took 
care  of  their  own  people.  The  president 
of  that  stake  and  his  counselors  with 
some  of  the  members  of  the  high  coun- 
cil visited  the  bishops,  checked  on  the 
Saints,  found  what  was  needed,  and  took 
care  of  them.  They  located  and  helped 
flood  victims,  for  many  of  our  people 
lost  all  their  belongings.  They  lost 
their  furniture,  they  lost  their  clothes, 
even  the  wallpaper  was  washed  off  the 
walls,  and  the  homes  were  filled  with 
slime  from  the  floods,  but  miraculously 
all  their  lives  were  saved. 

Some  very  remarkable  things  hap- 
pened. President  Panitsch  told  me  that 
he  was  concerned  about  one  elderly 
sister  who  was  bedridden.  He  was 
afraid  that  the  flood  which  covered 
much  of  Wilhelmsburg  might  have 
taken  her  life,  because  she  could  not 
move.  However,  the  night  before  the 
flood  came,  she  became  a  little  more 
ill  and  was  taken  to  a  hospital  and  so 
was  saved. 

One  of  our  sisters  was  concerned  be- 
cause in  the  middle  of  this  flood,  as  the 
waters  came  rushing  in,  her  children, 
which  she  had  held  by  the  hand,  were 
swept  away  from  her  by  the  floods,  so 
she  lost  them  and  despaired  of  their 
lives.  She  was  rescued  and  came  in 
tears  to  her  bishop  wanting  to  know 
what  she  could  do  for  her  children.  But 
the  children  had  been  miraculously 
saved.  They  had  clung  to  trees  the 
whole  night  and  had  been  rescued  the 
following  morning  and  were  restored  to 
her  again  frightened,  but  safe. 

So  you  see,  the  local  Saints  helped 
one  another.  When  the  call  went  out 
to  gather  food  and  clothing,  they 
brought  so  much  material  into  the  Al- 
tona  branch  house  that  the  bishops  had 
to  tell  the  people,  "We  have  enough. 
Don't  bring  any  more."  The  sisters  spent 
their  time  sorting  the  clothing  (it  was 
good  clothing  that  was  brought  in)  and 
making  sure  that  all  the  people  who 
received  clothing  had  proper  fit  and 
suitable  attire. 


The  local  Saints  helped  one  another. 
And  the  greatest  testimony  of  unity  for 
me,  brothers  and  sisters,  was  to  see 
how  the  presidents  of  the  other  German- 
speaking  stakes  sprang  to  the  rescue. 
Berlin  telephoned  over  and  asked  if  they 
could  help,  and  Switzerland  and  Stutt- 
gart, without  even  bothering  to  tele- 
phone, started  up  their  relief  action  and 
gathered  sums  of  money  which  to  us 
were  really  large  in  terms  of  German 
marks,  and  sent  that  money  to  President 
Panitsch,  offered  food  and  clothing,  and 
telephoned  to  ask  if  they  could  give 
more  help. 

So  you  see,  they  are  working  together, 
and  those  wonderful  German  and  Swiss 
Saints  in  our  European  stakes  held  to- 
gether as  one  people.  It  is  a  thrill  to 
see  such  unity.  I  thought  to  myself, 
truly  these  stakes  now  are  places  of 
refuge  and  safety.  Zion  is  where  the 
pure  in  heart  dwell,  and  these  are  true 
stakes  of  Zion.  My  heart  swelled  with 
pride  for  our  Saints  in  Europe. 

Since  I  arrived  there  on  the  tenth  of 
January,  I  have  had  the  privilege  of 
visiting  all  twelve  missions  and  of  hold- 
ing missionary  conferences  with  all  the 
missionaries  in  the  European  Mission. 
I  have  spoken  to  numerous  congrega- 
tions in  Germany,  in  Denmark,  in  Nor- 
way, and  in  Finland.  I  have  been 
twice  behind  the  Iron  Curtain  and  have 
spoken  with  our  Saints  there.  I  have 
found  strength,  determination,  and  en- 
thusiasm everywhere  and  wonderful 
leadership. 

I  visited  1,710  missionaries,  and  I  am 
proud  of  them  and  their  spirit  of  devo- 
tion. There  is  a  good  spirit  among 
them,  and  they  have  an  esprit  de  corps 
which  is  uniting  them  in  spirit.  They 
are  catching  the  great  vision  of  the  work 
which  they  have  to  do.  They  are  be- 
ginning to  realize  now  who  they  are. 
This  concept  of  knowing  who  you  are  is 
a  very  important  concept,  and  I  would 
just  like  to  tell  you  a  little  story  that 
was  told  to  me  by  John  Bennion,  one  of 
my  missionaries,  which  I  think  illus- 
trates this  principle  very  well.  It  is  a 
story  about  a  salesman  who  came  into 
a  rather  isolated  valley  on  a  selling 
campaign.  He  had  some  selling  to  do, 
and  as  he  looked  around  for  a  place 
to  stay  that  night,  he  found  no  hotel, 


56 

Saturday,  April  7 

no  rooming  house,  no  boardinghouse,  no 
place  where  he  could  stay.  So  he  did 
what  all  good  salesmen  do  when  caught 
in  a  predicament  of  this  kind.  He 
looked  around  for  the  finest  house  that 
he  could  see  in  this  valley,  went  up,  and 
knocked  on  the  door.  When  a  man 
came  to  the  door,  he  introduced  himself 
and  said,  "I  am  sorry  to  bother  you,  but 
I  am  looking  for  a  place  to  stay  tonight, 
and  I  can  find  neither  hotel  nor  rooms 
available.  Would  it  be  possible  for  you 
to  put  me  up  tonight?"  The  man  opened 
the  door  in  true  western  hospitality  and 
said,  "Stranger,  come  on  in  and  make 
yourself  at  home." 

So  the  man  came  in  and  made  him- 
self at  home,  and  they  had  a  very,  very 
pleasant  evening  together — such  a  very 
pleasant  evening  that  in  the  morning, 
he  decided  he  would  get  up  and  help 
his  new-found  friend  with  his  chores. 
He  took  up  a  bucket  of  grain  and  went 
out  to  the  back  of  the  house  to  the 
chicken  yard  to  feed  the  chickens.  As  he 
started  to  feed  the  chickens,  all  of  a 
sudden  he  called  excitedly  to  the  man, 
"Hey,  mister,  come  quick.  There's  an 
eagle  in  your  chicken  yard." 

"Oh,"  the  rancher  said,  "don't  worry 
about  that." 

He  said,  "You  don't  understand. 
That's  a  vicious  bird.  If  you  don't  get 
him  out  of  your  chicken  yard,  he'll 
kill  all  your  chickens!" 

"Oh,"  the  rancher  said,  "don't  worry 
about  it." 

"But  that's  a  golden  eagle!"  he  cried. 

Then  the  rancher  said,  "Let  me  tell 
you  the  story,  and  then  you'll  under- 
stand. Last  year  some  of  my  boys  went 
with  me  up  into  the  mountains,  and 
there  on  a  cliff  below  us  we  found  an 
eagle's  nest.  In  that  eagle's  nest  were 
three  eggs,  and  so  we  let  one  of  the 
boys  down  the  cliff  with  a  lasso,  and 
he  picked  up  two  of  those  eggs  from 
the  eagle's  nest  and  brought  them  back 
up  with  him.  When  we  got  home,  we 
put  them  under  a  brooding  hen.  One 
of  those  eggs  hatched  out.  That's  that 
eagle.  You  see,  that  mother  hen  was 
his  mother,  and  all  the  rest  of  those 
chickens  are  his  brothers  and  sisters. 
That's  no  eagle.    That's  a  chicken!" 

The  salesman  looked  over  into  the 
chicken  yard  and  sure  enough,  there  was 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Second  Daij 

the  eagle  scratching  around  in  the 
chicken  yard  with  all  of  the  rest  of  the 
chickens  and  picking  up  grains  of  corn 
just  like  a  chicken  would.  Then  he  said 
to  the  rancher,  "Do  you  mind  if  I  per- 
form an  experiment  on  that  bird?"  The 
rancher  said,  "Go  ahead,  he  can't  lay 
any  eggs."  So  he  walked  over  and  picked 
up  that  eagle  in  his  hand,  looked  him 
right  in  the  eye  and  said,  "Thou  art  an 
eagle.  Take  to  thy  wings  and  fly!"  But 
the  eagle  just  blinked  at  him  with  those 
big  yellow  eagle  eyes,  ruffled  up  his 
feathers  and  turned  his  head  sideways 
and  looked  him  up  and  down.  Then 
he  hopped  down  to  the  ground  and 
started  to  scratch  in  the  dirt  after  grains 
of  corn.  The  rancher  laughed  at  the 
salesman  and  said,  "See,  I  told  you  he 
was  just  a  chicken." 

The  salesman  shook  his  head  and  he 
said,  "It  just  isn't  right."  Then  he 
went  out  on  his  selling  campaign,  but 
did  not  finish,  so  he  returned  that  night 
and  said,  "I  am  sorry  to  bother  you 
again,  but  could  I  stay  another  night?" 
The  rancher  said,  "Look,  you  stay  just 
as  long  as  you  have  a  mind  to.  You 
will  always  be  welcome  here."  So  he 
spent  another  very  pleasant  evening  and 
the  next  morning  got  up,  picked  up  his 
bucket  of  grain  and  went  out  to  feed 
those  chickens  again.  After  he  had  fed 
the  chickens  he  looked  at  that  eagle.  He 
went  over  and  picked  him  up,  raised 
him  on  his  hand,  and  looked  him  right 
in  the  eye  and  said,  "Thou  art  an  eagle. 
Take  to  thy  wings  and  fly!"  But  the 
eagle  just  blinked  at  him  with  those  big 
yellow  eagle  eyes,  ruffled  up  his  feathers, 
cocked  his  head,  and  looked  him  up  and 
down,  then  hopped  to  the  ground  and 
started  to  scratch  for  grains  of  corn 
again. 

The  rancher  laughed  again  and  said, 
"It's  hopeless.  Give  it  up."  Well,  the 
salesman  went  out  to  sell  another  day, 
but  he  still  did  not  finish,  so  he  stayed 
a  third  night,  and  that  third  morning 
went  out  to  feed  those  chickens  again. 
He  fed  them  and  then  looked  at  that 
eagle.  It  was  very  early  in  the  morning, 
and  the  sun  was  just  coming  up  over 
the  mountain  as  he  reached  down  and 
lifted  up  that  eagle  and  turned  him  this 
time  so  that  he  had  to  look  right  at  the 
sun.    Then  he  said,  "Thou  art  a  golden 


ELDER  THEODORE  M.  BURTON 


57 


eagle.  Take  to  thy  wings  and  fly!"  But 
the  eagle  just  blinked  at  him  with  those 
big  yellow  eagle  eyes,  ruffled  up  his 
feathers,  cocked  his  head,  and  looked  at 
him  again.  But  as  he  did  so,  the  sun  got 
in  his  eyes,  so  he  raised  his  head  to  look 
at  the  sun,  and  all  of  a  sudden  he  began 
to  tremble.  Then  he  spread  those  great 
wings  and  off  he  flew,  and  that  was  the 
last  that  was  ever  seen   of  that  eagle. 

Now,  he  was  no  longer  a  chicken.  He 
was  an  eagle,  the  king  of  the  air,  in  the 
element  where  he  belonged.  He  was 
free.  A  golden  eagle,  the  king  of  the 
birds! 

I  am  convinced  that  there  are  too 
many  golden  eagles  among  us  who  are 
convinced  that  they  are  chickens.  This 
is  no  time  for  us  ever  to  be  chickens. 
This  is  a  time  for  us  as  well  as  a  time 
for  our  missionaries  to  realize  who  we 
are. 

It  reminds  me  of  a  passage  in  the 
Doctrine  and  Covenants,  section  63, 
verses  58  to  64,  where  the  Lord  said: 
"For  this  is  a  day  of  warning,  and  not 
a  day  of  many  words.  For  I,  the  Lord, 
am  not  to  be  mocked  in  the  last  days. 

"Behold,  I  am  from  above,  and  my 
power  lieth  beneath.  I  am  over  all,  and 
in  all,  and  through  all,  and  search  all 
things,  and  the  day  cometh  that  all 
things  shall  be  subject  unto  me. 

"Behold,  I  am  Alpha  and  Omega, 
even  Jesus  Christ. 

"Wherefore,  let  all  men  beware  how 
they  take  my  name  in  their  lips — 

"For  behold,  verily  I  say,  that  many 
there  be  who  are  under  this  condemna- 
tion, who  use  the  name  of  the  Lord,  and 
use  it  in  vain,  having  not  authority." 

Now,  he  was  speaking  of  me  and  of 
you  who  bear  testimony  and  witness  of 
some  of  these  sacred  things,  for  he  goes 
on  to  say:  "Wherefore,  let  the  church 
repent  of  their  sins,  and  I,  the  Lord,  will 
own  them;  otherwise  they  shall  be  cut 
off. 

"Remember  that  that  which  cometh 
from  above  is  sacred,  and  must  be 
spoken  with  care,  and  by  constraint  of 
the  Spirit;  and  in  this  there  is  no  con- 
demnation, and  ye  receive  the  Spirit 
through  prayer;  wherefore,  without  this 
there  remaineth  condemnation."  (D&C 
63:58-64.) 

Thus  we  learn  to  teach,  yes,  we  must 


teach  and  preach  by  the  Spirit,  and  to 
use  those  testimonies  which  God  has 
given  us  in  a  sacred  and  a  solemn  man- 
ner. We  must  not  speak  lightheartedly 
of  these  sacred  things,  but  when  we  bear 
testimony  we  must  bear  that  testimony 
from  the  depths  of  our  heart.  I  told  our 
missionaries  this,  that  when  they  teach, 
they  must  teach  by  the  spirit  of  truth 
out  of  the  fulness  of  their  hearts,  for  as 
the  Lord  said,  "Verily  I  say  unto  you, 
he  that  is  ordained  of  me  and  sent  forth 
to  preach  the  word  of  truth  by  the 
Comforter,  in  the  Spirit  of  truth,  doth 
he  preach  it  by  the  Spirit  of  truth  or 
some  other  way? 

"And  if  it  be  by  some  other  way  it  is 
not  of  God."  (Ibid.,  50:17-18.) 

And  it  is  true  that  he  who  receives 
the  word  must  receive  it  in  the  same 
way  that  it  is  given.  He  must  open  up 
his  heart  and  must  receive  the  message 
by  the  spirit  of  truth,  for  the  Lord  goes 
on  to  say:  "And  again,  he  that  receiveth 
the  word  of  truth,  doth  he  receive  it  by 
the  Spirit  of  truth  or  some  other  way? 

"If  it  be  some  other  way  it  is  not  of 
God."  (Ibid.,  50:19-20.) 

Thus  the  spirit  of  truth  is  a  bridge 
which  reaches  between  honest  people 
everywhere.  It  is  a  bridge  of  honesty. 
It  is  a  bridge  of  sincerity.  It  is  a  bridge 
of  brotherly  love. 

As  the  Lord  goes  on  to  say  in  that 
same  section  in  the  following  verse: 
"Therefore,  why  is  it  that  ye  cannot 
understand  and  know,  that  he  that 
receiveth  the  word  by  the  Spirit  of  truth 
receiveth  it  as  it  is  preached  by  the 
Spirit  of  truth? 

"Wherefore,  he  that  preacheth  and  he 
that  receiveth,  understand  one  another, 
and  both  are  edified  and  rejoice  to- 
gether. 

"And  that  which  doth  not  edify  is  not 
of  God,  and  is  darkness. 

"That  which  is  of  God  is  light;  and 
he  that  receiveth  light,  and  continueth 
in  God,  receiveth  more  light;  and  that 
light  groweth  brighter  and  brighter  until 
the  perfect  day."  (Ibid.,  50:21-24.) 

So  knowing  the  personal  responsibility 
that  today  rests  upon  me,  I  bear  my 
solemn  witness  to  you,  by  the  spirit  of 
truth  and  by  the  power  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  that  I  know  from  deep  within 
my  soul  that  Jesus  lives,  that  Jesus   is, 


58 

Saturday,  April  7 

the  living  Christ,  a  resurrected  being, 
and  a  personal  God  of  flesh  and  bones, 
who  truly  did  appear  and  spoke  to 
Joseph  Smith,  taught  him,  instructed 
him,  and  now  guides  this  Church  and 
reveals  his  will  to  us  today  through  a 
choice  and  living  prophet,  David  O. 
McKay,  as  others  have  testified  before 
me.  I  bear  you  this  testimony  by  virtue 
of  my  calling  as  a  special  witness,  for 
I  know  the  truth  of  these  things  in  my 
heart  and  ask  honest  men  everywhere  to 
listen  and  to  believe  and  to  search  and 
to  know  for  themselves  by  the  same 
spirit  of  truth  that  these  things  which 
we  have  preached  are  true.  I  bear  this 
testimony  to  you  in  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ.    Amen. 

President  David  O.  McKay: 

He  to  whom  we  have  just  listened  is 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Second  Day 

Elder  Theodore  M.  Burton,  Assistant  to 
the  Twelve  and  President  of  the  Euro- 
pean Mission. 

The  Ricks  College  Choir  will  now 
favor  us  with  "Achieved  Is  the  Glorious 
Work,"  conducted  by  Richard  W.  Robi- 
son.  The  benediction  will  be  offered  by 
Elder  Burtis  F.  Robbins,  formerly  presi- 
dent of  the  North  German  Mission, 
following  which  this  Conference  will  be 
adjourned  until  two  o'clock  this  after- 
noon. The  Ricks  College  Choir  will 
again  be  with  us  this  afternoon. 


The  Ricks  College  Choir  sang 
"Achieved  Is  The  Glorious  Work." 

The  closing  prayer  was  offered  by 
Elder  Burtis  F.  Robbins,  former  presi- 
dent of  the  North  German  Mission. 

Conference  adjourned  until  2:00  p.m. 


SECOND  DAY 
AFTERNOON  MEETING 


The  Saturday  afternoon  session  of  the 
Conference  was  held  at  2  o'clock.  Presi- 
dent David  O.  McKay  presided  and  con- 
ducted the  services. 

The  choral  music  for  this  meeting  was 
furnished  by  the  Ricks  College  Choir, 
conducted  by  Richard  W.  Robison; 
Frank  W.  Asper,  organist. 

President  McKay  made  the  following 
introductory  remarks: 

President  David  O.  McKay: 

For  the  information  of  those  listening 
in  over  the  radio  or  looking  at  television, 
we  are  pleased  to  announce  that  we  are 
assembled  in  the  great  Tabernacle  on 
Temple  Square  in  Salt  Lake  City  in  the 
fourth  session  of  the  132nd  Annual  Con- 
ference of  the  Church.  To  those  who  are 
unable  to  obtain  seats  here  in  the  Taber- 
nacle, we  announce  that  overflow 
meetings  are  held  in  the  Assembly  Hall 
and  in  Barratt  Hall  where  these  services 
are  being  broadcast  by  television. 

This  session  of  the  Conference  will 
be  broadcast  as  a  public  service  over 
television  and  radio  stations  throughout 


the  intermountain  west.  The  names  of 
these  stations  were  announced  prior  to 
the  beginning  of  this  meeting.  Again, 
we  express  our  sincere  appreciation  for 
the  service  that  is  being  rendered  by 
these  stations. 

We  are  pleased  to  note  the  attendance 
this  afternoon  of  special  guests,  promi- 
nent in  national,  state,  and  city  affairs, 
and  also  leaders  in  educational  circles. 
You  always  have  our  hearty  welcome. 
We  are  pleased  to  welcome  our  stake, 
ward,  and  temple  authorities,  and  gener- 
al   auxiliary  officers   of   the   Church. 

To  the  radio  and  television  audiences, 
and  to  all  who  are  gathered  here  in  this 
historic  building,  we  want  you  to  feel 
our  heart-felt  welcome. 

The  singing  for  the  afternoon  session 
will  be  furnished  by  the  Ricks  College 
Choir,  conducted  by  Richard  W.  Robi- 
son, with  Frank  W.  Asper  at  the  organ. 
We  shall  begin  these  services  by  the 
Ricks  College  Choir  singing,  "What 
Was  Witnessed  In  The  Heavens."  The 
invocation  will  be  offered  by  Elder 
Joseph  Young  Toronto,  president  of  the 
Spanish   Fork  Stake. 


ELDER  SPENCER  W.  KIMBALL 


59 


The  Ricks  College  Choir  sang  the 
anthem,  "What  Was  Witnessed  In  The 
Heavens." 

Elder  Joseph  Young  Toronto,  presi- 
dent of  the  Spanish  Fork  Stake,  offered 
the  invocation. 

President  David  O.  McKay: 

The  invocation  was  offered  by  Elder 
Joseph  Young  Toronto,  president  of  the 
Spanish  Fork  Stake.  The  Ricks  College 
Choir    will    favor    us    with,    "Greater 


Love  Hath  No  Man."  After  the  singing, 
Elder  Spencer  W.  Kimball  of  the 
Council  of  the  Twelve  will  address  us. 


Singing  by  the  Ricks  College  Choir, 
"Greater  Love  Hath  No  Man." 


President  David  O.  McKay: 

Our  first  speaker  this  afternoon  will 
be  Elder  Spencer  W.  Kimball.  He  will 
be  followed  by  Elder  Eldred  G.  Smith. 


ELDER  SPENCER  W.  KIMBALL 

Of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 


My  brothers  and  sisters,  it  is  a  grand 
privilege  to  meet  with  you  in  this  great 
conference  which  is  the  most  nearly 
international  of  all  conferences  ever 
held  in  the  Church.  We  are  making 
history  today  with  the  conference 
proceedings  being  received  in  this  taber- 
nacle in  various  languages  and  with 
the  conference  messages  going  out  into 
foreign  lands. 

We  live  in  a  marvelous  age  with 
developments  far  beyond  the  most  fan- 
tastic prognostications  of  a  quarter  cen- 
tury ago.  Our  communication  lines  have 
been  extended  from  Pony  Express  to 
fast  air  service;  transportation  has  been 
speeded  from  horse  and  buggy  to  globe- 
encircling  jets  for  the  masses,  and  speeds 
running  into  the  thousands  of  miles 
each  hour  for  the  explorers.  From  the 
Vikings  and  Columbus,  we  come  to 
"Glenn"  and  the  astronauts.  Persistent 
scientists  continue  to  explore  land  and 
sea,  and  now  they  are  out  in  space. 
Much  learning  has  been  added,  but 
astronauts  and  rocket  riders  and  teleg- 
raphers can  little  realize  how  relatively 
elementary  are  their  movements  and 
discoveries  and  knowledge.  Astronomers 
have  sought  knowledge  through  study, 
but  prophets  through  faith.  Astronomers 
have  developed  powerful  telescopes 
through  which  they  have  seen  much, 
but  prophets  and  seers  have  had  clearer 
vision  at  greater  distances  with  precision 
instruments  such  as  the  Liahona  and 
the  Urim  and  Thummim,  which  have 
far  exceeded  the  most  advanced  radar, 
radio,  television,  or  telescopic  equip- 
ment. 


In  a  recent  magazine  was  printed  a 
brief  digest  of  an  article  from  a  German 
astronomer  who  says  that  radio  astrono- 
mers today  discuss  as  a  distinct  possibil- 
ity interplanetary  conversation  between 
earth-bound  man  and  creatures  on  other 
planets;  he  "demonstrates  with  intricate 
mathematical  logic  that  planets  suitable 
for  life  may  be  fairly  common  among 
the  stars,  and  that  there  are  perhaps 
only  ten  civilized  communities  within 
1,000  light  years  of  the  earth,"  and 
"there  may  well  be  creatures  intelligent 
enough  on  some  of  those  planets  to 
transmit  radio  messages  across  the  enor- 
mous  distances  of  interstellar  space." 

He  seems  convinced  that  earth's  as- 
tronomers could  eventually  detect  and  in- 
terpret incoming  messages  which  highly 
cultured  creatures  from  those  intelligent 
communities  might  send,  but  since 
the  galactic  history  of  such  planets 
"might  take  billions  of  years  to  evolve, 
their  flowering  might  well  last  only 
a  few  thousand  years,  so  their  brief 
moments  of  glory  would  seldom  coin- 
cide." He  reasons  that  "some  extra- 
terrestrial civilizations  may  have  de- 
stroyed themselves  completely,  while 
others  may  have  killed  off  only  the 
higher  types  of  life,  permitting  new  and 
later  civilizations  to  evolve  from  the 
humble  creatures  that  managed  to  sur- 
vive." 

Since  no  mention  is  made  of  a  con- 
trolling power,  we  fear  that  there  is 
the  assumption  that  planets  build  them- 
selves and  that  inhabitants  create  them- 
selves. We  honor  and  congratulate  the 
scientists  for  their  intensive  research  and 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


60 

Saturday,  April  7 

some  of  their  conclusions.  When  we  add 
to  their  assumptions  and  findings  the 
knowledge  acquired  through  the  scrip- 
tures, and  then  place  an  Omnipotent 
God  in  the  center  of  all  things,  the 
picture  becomes  clearer  and  purpose 
gives  it  meaning  and  color. 

The  Gospel  writer,  John,  gave  us 
these  precious  words:  "In  the  beginning 
was  the  Word,  and  the  Word  was  with 
God,  and  the  Word  was  God. 

"The  same  was  in  the  beginning 
with  God. 

"All  things  were  made  by  him;  and 
without  him  was  not  any  thing  made 
that  was  made."  (John  1:1-3.) 

And  modern  revelation  confirms:  "The 
worlds  were  made  by  him;  men  were 
made  by  him;  all  things  were  made  by 
him,    and    through    him, 

".  .  .  he  was  called  the  Son  of 
God,  .  .  ."  (D&C  93:10,  14.) 

The  Lord  himself  testifies:  "Behold, 
I  am  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  Living 
God,  who  created  the  heavens  and  the 
earth,  .  .  ."  (Ibid.,  14:9.)  ".  .  .  [they] 
are  in  mine  hands,  .  .  ."    (Ibid.,  67:2.) 

Students  of  the  universe  might  be 
amazed  to  know  how  much  Adam  knew 
about  astronomy;  how  much  Enoch  and 
Moses  had  of  accumulated  knowledge 
of  this  world  in  its  beginnings,  its  his- 
tory and  of  its  projected  end.  Many 
would  wonder  at  the  great  Abraham, 
living  nearly  forty  centuries  ago,  who 
was  such  a  world  authority,  not  only  on 
the  earth,  its  movements,  and  its  condi- 
tions, but  on  the  universe  itself,  extend- 
ing to  the  very  center  of  it. 

His  supernatural  knowledge  was  prob- 
ably supplemented  by  research  and  ob- 
servation in  the  clear,  starry  nights  in 
the  plains  of  Mesopotamia,  but  he  must 
have  received  the  major  part  through 
the  Urim  and  Thummim  which  could 
have  been  far  more  revealing  than  the 
most  powerful  telescope  in  the  most 
modern  observatory.  In  his  175  bril- 
liant years  of  life  he  accumulated  knowl- 
edge in  many  fields,  but  especially  in 
astronomy,  in  which  field  he  seems  to 
have  excelled,  and  was  perhaps  equal 
or  superior  to  even  the  highly  trained 
Egyptian  astronomers.  At  the  altar  near 
Bethel,  close  to  Jerusalem,  came  his 
greatest  scientific  knowledge. 

As   he   sat   in  Egypt   and   wrote  his 


Second  Day 

treatise  on  papyrus,  in  longhand,  likely 
to  present  to  Pharaoh  and  his  eminent 
court,  he  wrote.  "And  I,  Abraham,  had 
the  Urim  and  Thummim,  which  the 
Lord  my  God  had  given  unto  me,  in  Ur 
of  the  Chaldees; 

"And  I  saw  the  stars  that  they  were 
very  great,  and  one  of  them  was  nearest 
unto  the  throne  of  God;  and  there  were 
many  great  ones  which  were  near  unto 
it; 

"And  the  Lord  said  unto  me:  These 
are  the  governing  ones;  and  the  name 
of  the  great  one  is  Kolob,  because  it  is 
near  unto  me,  for  I  am  the  Lord  thy 
God:  I  have  set  this  one  to  govern  all 
those  which  belong  to  the  same  order 
as  that  upon  which  thou  standest." 
(Abraham  3:1-3.) 

The  worlds  were  created,  organized, 
and  made  to  function  by  Jesus  Christ 
our  Lord,  all  this  at  the  instance  of 
and  under  the  direction  of  his  Father 
Elohim,  our  Heavenly  Father.  Abraham 
knew,  as  we  know,  that  the  works  of 
God  in  all  creations  were  infinite,  pur- 
poseful, efficient,  limitless. 

The  Lord  continues  in  his  revelation 
to  the  Prophet,  "And  there  are  many 
kingdoms,  for  there  is  no  space  in  which 
there  is  no  kingdom;  .  .  . 

"Unto  every  kingdom  is  given  a 
law;  .  .  ."  (See  D&C  88:37-38.)  He 
knew  the  bounds  set  to  heaven,  earth, 
sun,  stars,  their  times,  revolutions,  laws 
and  glories — which  orbs  borrow  their 
light  from  Kolob,  the  greatest  of  all  the 
stars.  (Abraham  3.)  He  actually  tells  us 
about  the  throne  of  God  and  that  he 
resides  "on  a  globe  like  a  sea  of  glass  and 
fire,  [which] — is  a  great  Urim  and 
Thummim."    (D&C  130:7-8.) 

He  continues  in  his  inspired  treatise, 
"And  the  Lord  said  unto  me,  by  the 
Urim  and  Thummim,  that  Kolob  was 
after  the  manner  of  the  Lord,  .  .  ." 
(Abraham  3:4)  and  that  one  revolution 
of  it  was  equal  to  one  thousand  years 
on  earth. 

We  quote  again,  "Kolob,  signifying 
the  first  creation,  nearest  to  the  celestial, 
or  the  residence  of  God.  First  in  govern- 
ment, the  last  pertaining  to  the  measure- 
ment of  time."  (PofGP,  Facsimile  2:1.) 

Other  grand-governing  creations  near 
to  the  place  where  God  resides  are 
pictured.  This  advanced  knowledge  was 


ELDER  SPENCER  W.  KIMBALL 


61 


"revealed  from  God  to  Abraham  as  he 
offered  sacrifice  upon  an  altar  which  he 
had  built  unto  the  Lord."  {Ibid.,  2:2.)  He 
says,  "Thus  I,  Abraham,  talked  with  the 
Lord,  face  to  face,  .  .  .  and  he  told  me 
of  the  works  which  his  hands  had 
made;  .  .  .  which  were  many;  and  they 
multiplied  before  mine  eyes,  and  I  could 
not  see  the  end  thereof."  (Abraham 
3:11-12.) 

As  we  stretch  our  imaginations  to  ab- 
sorb the  limitlessness  of  the  creations 
of  God,  we  turn  to  a  favorite  song: 

"If  you  could  hie  to  Kolob  in  the 
twinkling  of  an  eye, 

And  then  continue  onward  with  that 
same  speed  to  fly, 

D'ye  think  that  you  could  ever, 
through  all  eternity, 

Find  out  the  generation  where  Gods 
began  to  be? 

"Or  see  the  grand  beginning,  where 
space   did   not   extend? 

Or  view  the  last  creation,  where 
Gods  and  matter  end? 

Methinks  the  Spirit  whispers,  No  man 
has  found  'pure  space,' 

Nor  seen  the  outside  curtains,  where 
nothing  has  a  place. 

The  works  of  God  continue,  and 
worlds  and  lives  abound; 

Improvement  and  progression  have 
one    eternal    round. 

There  is  no  end  to  matter;  there  is 
no  end  to  space; 

There  is  no  end  to  spirit;  there  is  no 
end  to  race." 

—William  W.  Phelps 

The  noted  scientist  speaks  of  other 
planets  and  suggests  civilized  space  com- 
munities. Time  was  when  most  people 
thought  the  earth  was  the  world,  and 
that  the  sun,  the  moon,  and  the  stars 
were  earth's  counterparts,  or  inferior 
appendages,  merely  to  give  light  like 
lanterns  hanging  in  the  sky.  But  now 
scientists  know,  as  the  people  generally 
know,  and  as  prophets  knew  long  before 
them,  that  the  earth  is  but  one  minor 
unit  of  numerous  creations  in  space, 
illuminated  by  the  presence  of  God 
"who  is  in  the  midst  of  all  things." 
(D&C  88:12-13)  ".  .  .  the  glory  of  his 
presence  that  the  sun  shall  hide  his 
face  in  shame.  .  .  ."  (Ibid.,  133:49.) 


Our  friend  the  astronomer  speaks  of 
interstellar  civilizations,  probably  experi- 
encing turbulent  history  such  as  our  own 
earth  has  had  with  the  rise  and  fall  of 
great  civilizations,  such  as  Babylon, 
Ninevah,  Jerusalem,  Egypt,  Greece, 
Rome,  and  numerous  others  which  have 
flared  like  an  arc-light,  then  dimmed 
even  to  candlelight  proportions,  or  to 
be  extinguished.  The  prophets  knew 
through  the  centuries  that  not  only 
civilizations  come  and  go,  but  worlds 
are  born,  mature,  and  die.  The  Lord 
said,  "And  the  end  shall  come,  and  the 
heaven  and  the  earth  shall  be  consumed 
and  pass  away,  .  .  . 

".  .  .  it  is  the  workmanship  of  mine 
hands."  (Ibid.,  29:23,  25.)  ".  .  .  the  earth 
abideth  the  law  of  a  celestial  kingdom, 
for  it  filleth  the  measure  of  its  crea- 
tion, .  .  . 

".  .  .  notwithstanding  it  shall  die,  it 
shall  be  quickened  again,  .  .  .  and  the 
righteous  shall  inherit  it."  (Ibid.,  88: 
25-26.)  The  Prophet  Joseph  writes, 
"The  earth  rolls  upon  her  wings,  and 
the  sun  giveth  his  light  by  day,  and  the 
moon  giveth  her  light  by  night,  and 
the  stars  also  give  their  light,  as  they 
roll  upon  their  wings  in  their  glory,  in 
the  midst  of  the  power  of  God. 

".  .  .  and  any  man  who  hath  seen  any 
or  the  least  of  these  hath  seen  God  mov- 
ing in  his  majesty  and  power."  (Ibid., 
88:45,  47.)  "For  after  it  hath  filled  the 
measure  of  its  creation,  it  shall  be 
crowned  with  glory,  even  with  the  pres- 
ence of  God  the  Father; 

"That  bodies  of  the  celestial  kingdom 
may  possess  it  forever  and  ever;  for,  for 
this  intent  was  it  made  and  created,  and 
for  this  intent  are  they  sanctified." 
(Ibid.,  88:19-20.) 

To  Moses,  to  Joseph  Smith,  and  to 
others  of  the  great  prophets,  came  vi- 
sions and  revelations  unbelievable,  so 
clear,  so  distinct,  so  complete  that  it 
will  yet  be  long,  if  ever,  when,  through 
observation  and  exploration  only,  men 
will  gain  the  knowledge,  for  the  prophets 
saw  unbelievable  things  in  kaleidoscopic 
vision.  "But  only  an  account  of  this 
earth,  and  the  inhabitants  thereof,  give 
I  unto  you,"  said  the  Lord  to  Moses. 
"For  behold,  there  are  many  worlds 
that  have  passed  away  by  the  word  of 
my  power  and  there  are  many  that  now 


62 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Saturday,  April  7 

stand,  and  innumerable  are  they  unto 
man;  but  all  things  are  numbered  unto 
me,  for  they  are  mine  and  I  know  them." 
(Moses   1:35.) 

We  are  near  appalled  by  the  dis- 
cernment of  the  scientists  whose  accumu- 
lated knowledge  awes  us,  but  there  is 
greater  knowledge;  there  are  more  perfect 
instruments;  there  is  much  more  to 
learn.  We  can  but  imagine  how  the 
great  truths  have  been  transmitted 
through  the  ages.  Exactly  how  this 
precious  instrument,  the  Urim  and 
Thummim,  operates,  we  can  only  sur- 
mise, but  it  seems  to  be  infinitely  superi- 
or to  any  mechanism  ever  dreamed  of  yet 
by  researchers.  It  would  seem  to  be  a 
receiving  set  or  instrument.  For  a  set 
to  receive  pictures  and  programs,  there 
must  be  a  broadcasting  set.  The  scrip- 
tures above  quoted  indicated  that  the 
abode  of  God  is  a  master  Urim  and 
Thummim,  and  the  synchronization  of 
transmitting  and  receiving  apparatus  of 
this  kind  could  have  no  limitation. 

Even  with  our  most  elementary  com- 
munication sets  we  hear  voices  around 
the  world.  We  remember  when,  even 
with  earphones,  we  could  decode  only 
part  of  the  static  over  the  newborn  radio. 
Our  first  television  pictures  were  very 
local  and  very  amateurish.  Today,  we 
see  in  our  homes  a  fight  in  Madison 
Square  Garden,  a  football  game  in  the 
Cotton  Bowl,  the  Tabernacle  Choir  in 
Chicago,  an  astronaut  circling  the  globe. 
Is  it  hard  to  project  ourselves  from  the 
elemental  world  of  puny  man  to  the 
world  of  Omnipotent  God,  who  with 
great  purpose  has  developed  precision 
instruments  operated  through  his  om- 
nipotent knowledge?  Is  it  difficult  to 
believe  that  the  Urim  and  Thummim, 
carried  down  through  the  ages  by  the 
prophets,  even  in  the  hands  of  our  own 
modern-day  prophet,  could  be  that  pre- 
cision instrument  which  would  trans- 
mit messages  from  God  himself  to  his 
supreme  creation — man?  Can  God  have 
limitations?  Can  atmosphere  or  dis- 
tance or  space  hold  back  his  pictures? 
Would  it  be  so  difficult  for  Moses  or 
Enoch  or  Abraham  or  Joseph  to  see  a 
colorful,  accurate,  moving  picture  of  all 
things  past  and  present,  and  even  fu- 
ture? Could  one  doubt  that  the  holy 
man,  Moses,  could  stand  on  the  moun- 


Second  Day 

tain  peak  and  see?  Moses'  Creator  said, 
".  .  .  look,  and  I  will  show  thee  the 
workmanship  of  mine  hands;  but  not 
all,  for  my  works  are  without  end,  .  .  ." 
(Ibid.,  1:4.)  "Wherefore,  no  man  can 
behold  all  my  works,  except  he  behold 
all  my  glory;  and  no  man  can  behold 
all  my  glory,  and  afterwards  remain  in 
the  flesh  on  the  earth."  (Ibid.,  1:5.) 
"For  mine  own  purpose  have  I  made 
these  things.  .  .  . 

"And  by  the  word  of  my  power,  have 
I  created  them,  which  is  mine  Only 
Begotten  Son,  .  .  . 

And  "worlds  without  number  have  I 
created;  and  I  also  created  them  for 
mine  own  purpose;  and  by  the  Son  I 
created  them,  which  is  mine  Only  Be- 
gotten." (Ibid.,  1:31-33.)  ".  .  .  The 
heavens,  they  are  many,  and  they  can- 
not be  numbered  unto  man;  but  they 
are  numbered  unto  me,  for  they  are 
mine."    (Ibid.,  1:37.) 

The  perfected  Enoch,  as  he  saw  the 
brilliant,  awesome  picture,  exclaimed, 
"And  were  it  possible  that  man  could 
number  the  particles  of  the  earth,  yea, 
millions  of  earths  like  this,  it  would  not 
be  a  beginning  to  the  number  of  thy 
creations;  .  .  ."  (Ibid.,  7:30.)  And  then 
the  Creator  said,  ".  .  .  there  is  no  end 
to  my  works,  neither  to  my  words. 

"For  behold,  this  is  my  work  and  my 
glory — to  bring  to  pass  the  immortality 
and  eternal  life  of  man."  (Ibid., 
1:38-39.) 

The  quoted  doctor  speaks  of  the 
flowering  of  the  civilizations  upon  the 
various  planets.  The  Lord  told  Enoch, 
"Wherefore,  I  can  stretch  forth  mine 
hands  and  hold  all  the  creations  which 
I  have  made;  and  mine  eye  can  pierce 
them  also,  and  among  all  the  workman- 
ship of  mine  hands  there  has  not  been 
so  great  wickedness  as  among  thy 
brethren."  (Ibid.,  7:36.) 

We  know  little  about  interplanetary 
conversation  between  planets  of  the 
same  order  and  development,  but  we 
know  that  such  messages  on  a  two-way 
circuit  have  been  heard  and  under- 
stood by  earth  men  and  properly  inter- 
preted to  dying  civilizations  throughout 
the  ages,  and  this  in  line  with  the 
thought  of  the  dying  worlds  and  the 
living  worlds  and  the  aborning  worlds. 
The    scriptures    postulate    that    worlds 


ELDER  SPENCER  W.  KIMBALL 


63 


have  gone  out  of  existence  through  self- 
destruction,  but  other  worlds  have  gone 
on  unto  perfection,  and  communication 
between  the  higher  and  the  lower  is 
not  only  possible,  but  is  also  an  actual- 
ity. At  the  controlling  center  of  the 
universe  in  such  a  perfected  world  is 
God.  He  knows  all  things  which  could 
possibly  affect  us,  and  because  of  his 
experience  in  his  creation  of  us  in  his 
image,  he  is  eager  that  we  become  like 
him — perfect.  Accordingly,  he  has  con- 
tinued communication  with  us  through 
the  millennia.  Without  plane  or  rocket, 
messengers  have  come. 

Our  surprise  is  greatest  in  the  last 
conclusion  made  by  the  German  astron- 
omer when  he  expresses  the  belief  that 
"the  earth's  young  civilization  is  now 
approaching  its  first  great  crisis  because 
of  its  new  found  powers  of  self  destruc- 
tion," and  "man's  best  hope  of  avoiding 
disaster  is  to  listen  hard  for  radioed 
advice.  Far  out  in  starry  space,"  he 
says,  "perhaps  is  an  old  wise  civilization 
that  has  survived  many  crises  and  is 
trying  to  warn  the  callow  earth  against 
the  mistakes  of  its  own  youth."  What 
an  astute  observation!  Yet  for  thousands 
of  years  our  omniscient  Heavenly  Father 
from  his  old  wise  world  has  been  trying 
to  get  his  children  to  listen  hard  for 
such  radioed  advice  and  televised  wis- 
dom, but  they  were  blind  of  eyes  and 
dull  of  ears.  They  were  not  connected 
to  the  power  line. 

Handwritten  messages  of  warning 
have  come  to  wicked  Belshazzars,  who, 
with  lords  and  ladies  in  ugly  debauch- 
ery, drank  wines  from  golden  vessels 
stolen  from  holy  temples,  and  empires 
collapsed,  and  while  drunkenness  and 
sensual  indulgence  were  at  their  height, 
there  ".  .  .  came  forth  fingers  of  a  man's 
hand,  and  wrote  over  against  the  candle- 
stick upon  the  plaister  of  the  wall  of  the 
king's  palace:  and  the  king  saw  the  part 
of  the  hand  that  wrote. 

"Then  the  king's  countenance  was 
changed,  and  his  thoughts  troubled  him, 
so  that  the  joints  of  his  loins  were 
loosed,  and  his  knees  smote  one  against 
another."  (Daniel  5:5-6.)  This  was 
a  message  from  another  world.  Daniel 
interpreted  the  solemn  warning.  On 
another  continent  Aminadi  ".  .  .  inter- 
preted the  writing  which  was  upon  the 


wall  of  the  temple,  which  was  written 
by  the  finger  of  God."  (Alma  10:2.) 

Another  message  written  by  the  Lord 
on  two  sets  of  stone  tables  came  from 
Mt.  Sinai,  ".  .  .  And  he  wrote  upon  the 
tables  the  words  of  the  covenant,  the 
ten   commandments."    (Exodus   34:28.) 

How  else  except  through  interplane- 
tary messages  could  landlubber  Nephi, 
without  experience,  have  built  a  sea- 
worthy ship  which  would  safely  cross 
an  ocean?  How  else  could  Noah  have 
known  the  minute  specifications  for  an 
ark  to  ride  the  flood  successfully?  How 
else  could  Moses  know  the  dimensions, 
materials,  and  uses  of  the  tabernacle, 
and  how  else  could  Solomon  know  the 
specifications  for  his  temple? 

Radioed  programs  came  in  great  num- 
bers through  the  ages,  faithfully  inter- 
preted by  the  Jeremiahs,  the  Ezekiels, 
and  the  Daniels;  by  the  Nephis,  the 
Moronis,  the  Benjamins;  by  the  Peters, 
the  Pauls,  and  the  Joseph  Smiths.  Better 
than  radio  or  television  communications, 
have  come  personal  messengers  without 
plane,  or  rocket  ship,  from  God's  abode 
to  announce  the  birth  of  Isaac,  the  de- 
struction of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  the 
coming  of  Saul  to  Damascus.  Through 
some  program,  perhaps  something  like 
super-television,  Joseph  saw  the  coming 
famine  in  Egypt  so  he  could  warn 
Pharaoh  and  save  his  own  people.  And 
another  Joseph  saw  a  trans-space  pro- 
gram causing  him  to  flee  to  Egypt  with 
the  Christ-child,  and  then  to  return 
to  Nazareth.  Peter  saw  a  picture  of  the 
four-cornered  sheet  filled  with  beasts 
and  heard  voices  which  were  to  send 
the  proselyting  program  not  only  to 
Jews,  but  also  to  all  the  world.  A 
messenger  from  the  Father  crossed  space 
to  announce,  "For  unto  you  is  born  this 
day  in  the  city  of  David  a  Saviour, 
which  is  Christ  the  Lord." 

And  from  out  in  space  came  suddenly 
"...  a  multitude  of  the  heavenly  host 
praising  God,  and  saying. 

"Glory  to  God  in  the  highest,  and  on 
earth  peace,  good  will  toward  men." 
(Luke  2:11,  13-14.) 

Comforting  messengers  stood  by  the 
Christ  in  Gethsemane  after  his  mo- 
mentous decision.  One  from  far  out 
space  was  outside  Jerusalem's  wall  by 
the  empty  tomb,  and  ".  .  .  rolled  back 


64 

Saturday,  April  7 

the  stone  from  the  door,  and  sat  upon 
it."  (Matt.  28:2.)  He  said,  ".  .  .  Fear  not 
ye:  for  I  know  that  ye  seek  Jesus,  which 
was  crucified. 

"He  is  not  here:  for  he  is  risen,  .  .  ." 
(Matt.  28:5-6.) 

And  there  were  two  men  undetained 
by  space  or  time,  standing  on  the  Mt. 
of  Olives  who  said,  "Ye  men  of  Galilee, 
.  .  .  this  same  Jesus,  which  is  taken  up 
from  you  into  heaven,  shall  so  come  in 
like  manner  as  you  have  seen  him  go 
into  heaven."   (Acts   1:11.) 

Just  last  century  a  space  messenger 
came  to  Joseph  Smith,  announcing,  ".  .  . 
that  he  was  a  messenger  sent  from  the 
presence  of  God  .  .  .  that  his  name  was 
Moroni;  that  God  had  a  work  for  [him] 
to  do;  .  .  ."  (Joseph  Smith  2:33.)  In  a 
single  night  repeated  visits  and  the 
crossing  through  space  from  earth  to 
the  abode  of  God,  seemed  to  be  nego- 
tiated without  limitation  of  time  or 
space  or  gravity's  pull! 

From  the  center  of  the  universe  where 
the  power,  the  light,  the  direction,  and 
the  intelligence  originates,  came  another 
messenger  announcing  himself  as  the 
resurrected  John  the  Baptist.  Anciently 
beheaded,  now  resurrected,  he  came  to 
restore  the  keys  and  powers  which  he 
himself  had  possessed  on  earth.  He 
was  followed  by  three  other  messengers, 
Peter,  James,  and  John,  who  restored  the 
Melchizedek  Priesthood  with  all  its 
powers  and  authority. 

Divine  guards  had  sped  through  space 
to  save  the  life  of  Abraham  on  Potiphar's 
Hill  in  the  land  of  Ur,  to  save  Daniel 
and  his  companions  in  the  lions'  den, 
to  save  Nephi  from  the  bitterness  and 
bloodthirsty  anger  of  his  brothers,  to 
save  Isaac  from  the  knife  of  sacrifice. 

Then  there  were  messages  so  precious, 
so  vital,  that  the  Lord  himself  came.  He 
taught  Adam  in  the  Garden  of  Eden, 
showed  Enoch  the  millions  of  units  in 
his  universe,  and  trained  Moses  to  lead 
Israel.  He  stood  on  the  highway  near 
Damascus  and  started  Paul  in  his  mar- 
velous transformation  and  ministry. 

And  then  there  were  the  visits  of  the 
Father  himself,  who  came  to  bear  wit- 
ness of  his  Beloved  Son  Jesus  Christ  at 
the  waters  of  Jordan,  on  the  Mt.  of 
Transfiguration,  to  the  Nephites  on  soil 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Second  Day 

of  the  New  World.  He  introduced  his 
Son  on  these  pivotal  and  vital  visits. 
"Behold,  my  Beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am 
well  pleased,  in  whom  I  have  glorified 
my  name." 

And  again,  in  the  Sacred  Grove  in 
New  York  State  came  the  Father  and 
the  Son  in  the  restoration  of  great  and 
holy  things. 

Is  man  earthbound?  Largely  so,  and 
temporarily  so,  yet  Enoch  and  his  peo- 
ple were  translated  from  the  earth,  and 
the  living  Christ  and  angels  commuted. 

Is  there  interplanetary  conversation? 
Certainly.  Man  may  speak  to  God  and 
receive  answers  from  him. 

Is  there  association  of  interplanetary 
beings?    There  is  no  question. 

Are  planets  out  in  space  inhabited  by 
intelligent    creatures?     Without    doubt. 

Will  radioed  messages  ever  come 
between  planets  across  limitless  space? 
Certainly,  for  there  have  already  been 
coming  for  6,000  years,  properly  de- 
coded, interpreted,  and  publicized  mes- 
sages of  utmost  importance  to  the  in- 
habitants of  this  earth.  Dreams  and 
open  vision,  like  perfected  television 
programs,  have  come  repeatedly.  Per- 
sonal representatives  have  brought 
warning  messages  too  numerous  times 
to  mention,  and  it  is  our  testimony  to 
the  world  that  God  lives  and  abides  in 
his  heavenly  home,  and  the  earth  is  his 
footstool,  and  only  one  of  his  numerous 
creations;  that  Jesus  Christ  the  Son  of 
that  Living  God  is  the  Creator,  Savior, 
and  Redeemer  of  the  people  on  this 
earth  who  will  listen  and  obey;  and  that 
these  interstellar  messages — call  them 
what  you  will,  visions,  revelations,  tele- 
vision, radio — from  the  abode  of  God 
to  man  on  this  earth  continue  now  to 
come  to  the  living  prophet  of  God 
among  us  this  day.  This  I  know,  in 
the  name  of  Jesus  Christ.     Amen. 


President  David  O.  McKay: 

He  to  whom  you  have  just  listened  is 
Elder  Spencer  W.  Kimball  of  the  Coun- 
cil of  the  Twelve.  Elder  Eldred  G.  Smith, 
Presiding  Patriarch  to  the  Church,  will 
now  address  us.  He  will  be  followed  by 
Elder  Thorpe  B.  Isaacson. 


65 


ELDER  ELDRED  G.  SMITH 

Patriarch  to  the  Church 


Jesus  said  to  Nicodemus,  ".  .  .  Verily, 
verily,  I  say  unto  thee,  Except  a  man  be 
born  again,  he  cannot  see  the  kingdom 
of  God. 

"Nicodemus  saith  unto  him,  How  can 
a  man  be  born  when  he  is  old?  can 
he  enter  the  second  time  into  his 
mother's  womb,  and  be  born? 

"Jesus  answered,  Verily,  verily,  I  say 
unto  thee,  Except  a  man  be  born  of 
water  and  of  the  Spirit,  he  cannot  enter 
into  the  kingdom  of  God."  (John  3:3-5.) 

Jesus  confirmed  this  principle  himself 
in  his  own  baptism  as  is  recorded  in 
Matthew: 

"Then  cometh  Jesus  from  Galilee  to 
Jordan  unto  John,  to  be  baptized  of  him. 

"But  John  forbad  him,  saying,  I  have 
need  to  be  baptized  of  thee,  and  comest 
thou  to  me? 

"And  Jesus  answering  said  unto  him, 
Suffer  it  to  be  so  now:  for  thus  it  be- 
cometh  us  to  fulfil  all  righteousness. 
Then  he  suffered  him."  (Matt.  3:13-15.) 

If  baptism  were  so  necessary  for  Jesus, 
who  was  a  perfect  man,  without  sin,  the 
very  Son  of  God,  to  fulfil  all  righteous- 
ness, then  how  much  more  necessary 
must  it  be  for  all  others  to  receive  bap- 
tism. Then,  too,  if  the  Lord  requires 
baptism  to  see  or  enter  into  the  kingdom 
of  God,  then  the  Lord  is  obligated  to 
provide  a  plan  or  way  whereby  all 
mankind  may  receive  this  important 
ordinance. 

You  recall  that  after  the  Savior's  cruci- 
fixion and  before  his  resurrection,  he 
was  preaching  to  the  spirits  in  prison, 
as  is  recorded  in  First  Peter.  This  opens 
the  way  for  those  who  do  not  have  the 
opportunity  in  this  life  of  hearing  the 
gospel  and  accepting  baptism  to  accept 
its  teachings  after  death.  This  does 
not  provide  the  ordinance  of  baptism.  If 
the  plan  were  to  stop  here  without  pro- 
vision for  the  actual  baptism,  all  the 
efforts  of  Jesus  in  the  spirit  world  would 
be  in  vain.  This  must  be  done  on 
earth. 

The  next  step  in  a  plan  of  justice 
would  call  for  records  on  the  earth  to 
identify  those  who  lived  and  died  with- 
out the  gospel.  The  Lord  has  inspired 
people  throughout  the  ages  to  preserve 


records.  Many  great  national  leaders 
have  made  great  efforts  to  preserve  vital 
records.  Man  has  inherently  made  and 
preserved  records.  One  of  the  inherent 
traits  of  the  Israelites  is  that  they  are 
a  record-keeping  people.  Members  and 
nonmembers  alike  are  obligated  to  gather 
family  records. 

On  April  3,  1836  in  the  Kirtland  Tem- 
ple, Elijah  the  prophet  appeared  to 
Joseph  Smith  and  Oliver  Cowdery  and 
bestowed  upon  them  the  keys  of  the 
sealing  power  of  the  priesthood.  This 
is  the  power  and  authority  to  fulfil  all 
the  sealing  ordinances  of  the  gospel, 
including  baptism,  for  both  the  living 
and  the  dead. 

Referring  to  the  mission  of  Elijah, 
the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  said,  "The 
spirit,  power,  and  calling  of  Elijah  is, 
that  ye  have  power  to  hold  the  key  of 
the  revelations,  ordinances,  oracles, 
powers,  and  endowments  of  the  fulness 
of  the  Melchizedek  Priesthood  and  of  the 
kingdom  of  God  on  the  earth;  and  to 
receive,  obtain,  and  perform  all  the 
ordinances  belonging  to  the  kingdom  of 
God.  .  .  ."  (Teachings  of  the  Prophet 
Joseph  Smith,  p.  337.) 

The  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  also  said, 
and  I  quote:  "The  greatest  responsi- 
bility in  this  world  that  God  has  laid 
upon  us  is  to  seek  after  our  dead.  The 
Apostle  [Paul]  says,  'They  without  us 
cannot  [sic]  be  made  perfect;'  (See 
Heb.  11:40)  for  it  is  necessary  that  the 
sealing  power  should  be  in  our  hands 
to  seal  our  children  and  our  dead  for 
the  fulness  of  the  dispensation  of  times — 
a  dispensation  to  meet  the  promises 
made  by  Jesus  Christ  before  the  founda- 
tion of  the  world  for  the  salvation 
of  man. 

"...  I  will  meet  Paul  half  way.  I  say 
to  you,  Paul,  you  cannot  be  perfect 
without  us.  It  is  necessary  that  those 
who  are  going  before  and  those  who 
come  after  us  should  have  salvation  in 
common  with  us;  and  thus  hath  God 
made  it  obligatory  upon  man.  Hence, 
God  said,  'I  will  send  you  Elijah  the 
prophet  before  the  coming  of  the  great 
and  dreadful  day  of  the  Lord:  and  he 
shall  turn  the  heart  of  the  fathers  to 


66 

Saturday,  April  7 

the  children,  and  the  heart  of  the 
children  to  their  fathers,  lest  I  come 
and  smite  the  earth  with  a  curse.'" 
(Mai.  4:5-6,  ibid.,  p.  356.) 

The  Lord  does  not  stop  here.  The 
teaching  in  the  spirit  world  has  con- 
tinued since  the  crucifixion  of  Christ. 
This  means  many  are  accepting  the 
teachings  all  the  time.  Their  descendants 
are  found  in  all  the  nations  of  the 
earth.  To  assist  those  who  have  accepted 
the  gospel  in  the  spirit  world,  the  Lord 
has  reserved  many  valiant  spirits  to 
come  forth  in  this  generation.  Just 
as  the  family  of  the  Prophet  Joseph 
Smith  was  moved  from  place  to  place 
until  they  settled  in  the  area  where 
the  plates  had  lain  buried  for  many 
centuries,  the  Lord  has  reserved  special, 
valiant  spirits  who  in  the  pre-existence 
were  so  strong  that  the  Lord  knew  they 
would  accept  the  gospel  when  they 
heard  it. 

We  hear  glowing  reports  of  the 
progress  in  the  missionary  work.  These 
are  some  of  these  special  spirits  to  come 
forth  in  special  families,  away  from  the 
center  stakes  of  Zion,  with  a  special 
mission  to  be  a  saving  power  to  their 
ancestors. 

It  is  common  for  members  in  these 
newly  organized  stakes  in  the  missions 
to  be  the  only  ones  in  their  family  to 
join  the  Church.  A  husband  and  wife 
may  be  the  only  members  of  the  Church 
on  each  side  of  their  families.  They 
alone  are  responsible  for  all  their  family 
research. 

Many  times  people  want  to  come  to 
Utah  to  do  temple  work.  This  is  a 
noble  thought,  but  I  caution  all  of  you 
who  contemplate  any  move,  do  not  fail 
first  to  gather  together  all  your  family 
records  available  in  the  area  where  you 
now  live.  So  many  members  have  come 
from  England  or  Germany  or  Holland 
or  other  nations  to  go  to  the  temple  just 
to  find  that  they  have  to  return  or  send 
back  to  get  their  family  records,  which 
they  should  have  brought  with  them  in 
the  first  place. 

I  hear  many  say  that  their  genealogy 
is  all  done.  If  this  were  so,  the  rest  of 
us  would  have  ours  all  done.  Go  back 
ten  generations  on  your  pedigree  charts, 
and  you  will  have  1,024  lines  to  follow. 
Each    generation   doubles   the   number 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Second  Day 

of  lines.  If  all  the  members  in  the 
Church  were  to  complete  all  their  fam- 
ily lines  back  for  ten  generations,  it 
would  take  them  about  to  the  beginning 
of  the  seventeenth  century.  This  should 
be  possible  for  most  members  of  the 
Church.  I  think  there  are  few  families, 
if  any,  who  have  this  much  done. 

Too  often  we  think  as  we  get  older 
and  have  more  time  we  will  devote  our- 
selves to  research.  Too  often  that  time 
never  comes.  Procrastination  is  the 
devil's  tool. 

The  story  is  told  that  as  Christianity 
was  becoming  more  widespread  on  the 
earth,  Satan  gathered  his  hosts  together 
and  called  for  suggestions  to  combat  this 
danger  to  their  dominion  on  the  earth. 
The  first  volunteer  said,  "Send  me.  I 
will  tell  them  it  is  not  true."  Satan  said, 
"No,  that  is  not  good  enough."  The 
second  volunteer  said,  "Send  me.  I  will 
tell  them  part  of  it  is  true,  but  most  of 
it  is  false."  "No,"  Satan  said,  "That  is  not 
good  enough."  The  third  volunteer  said, 
"Send  me.  I  will  tell  them  that  it  is  all 
true,  but  there  is  no  hurry."  "Go,"  Satan 
said,  "that  will  get  them  every  time." 

Genealogy  is  not  alone  for  the  old  but 
for  the  young  as  well.  Young  minds  are 
keen  and  alert  and  resourceful,  all  of 
which  is  needed  for  research.  Man 
should  be  busy  with  this  family  research. 

To  be  exalted  in  the  kingdom  of  God, 
one  must  keep  all  the  laws  of  the  gospel 
and  keep  all  the  commandments  of 
God.  It  is  great  to  keep  the  Word  of 
Wisdom  and  to  pay  your  tithes  and 
offerings  and  attend  Sacrament  meet- 
ings and  fulfil  all  the  other  activities  in 
the  Church.  But  if  you  omit  your 
family  research  and  temple  work,  you 
fall  short  and  at  the  peril  of  your  own 
salvation. 

This  is  a  priesthood  responsibility 
which  means  that  the  priesthood  is  to 
see  that  it  gets  done.  So  the  women 
usually  do  most  of  the  work.  This  is 
another  vital  and  important  way  to 
magnify  your  priesthood,  as  Brother 
Romney  urged  us  yesterday.  The 
Prophet  Joseph  Smith  said,  "The  great- 
est responsibility  in  this  world  that 
God  has  laid  upon  us  is  to  seek  after 
our  dead."  (Teachings  of  the  Prophet 
Joseph  Smith,  p.  356.) 

I  testify  to  you  that  this  is  truly  the 


ELDER  THORPE  B.  ISAACSON 


67 


work  of  the  Lord,  it  is  a  very  vital  work 
that  needs  to  be  done,  and  I  testify  that 
this  is  true,  that  the  gospel  is  true,  and 
that  the  Lord  will  help  us  if  we  will 
be  diligent  to  do  what  he  wants  us 
to  do. 

I  pray  the  blessings  of  the  Lord  upon 
all  who  diligently  seek  after  their  dead 
and  who  are  diligent  in  all  of  the  re- 
sponsibilities   given    to    them    in    the 


Church,  and  I  do  so  in  the  name  of 
Jesus  Christ.    Amen. 

President  David  O.  McKay: 

Elder  Eldred  G.  Smith,  Presiding  Pa- 
triarch of  the  Church,  has  just  concluded 
speaking,  Elder  Thorpe  B.  Isaacson,  As- 
sistant to  the  Twelve,  will  now  address 
us. 


ELDER  THORPE  B.  ISAACSON 

Assistant  to  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 


President  McKay,  President  Moyle,  Pres- 
ident Brown,  my  dear  brothers  and 
sisters:  This  is  a  great  sight.  Someone 
has  said  he  wishes  that  every  one  of  you 
could  stand  here  for  a  moment.  It 
would  make  a  better  Christian  out  of 
you.  I  sincerely  pray  that  what  I  shall 
say  will  be  helpful  to  someone,  espe- 
cially those  who  may  have  troubles,  or 
those  who  may  have  problems,  or  who 
may  have  sorrows.  There  are  so  many 
troubles  and  so  much  sorrow  in  the 
world. 

This  is  a  great  chorus  today.  We  have 
surely  enjoyed  it,  coming  from  a  great 
institution  [Ricks  College].  I  am  sure 
we  all  miss  Brother  Stapley,  Brother 
Morris,  Brother  Hunter,  Brother  Mc- 
Conkie,  and  Brother  Hanks,  but  they 
know  that  they  have  our  prayers. 

Fasting  and  prayer  and  the  contribu- 
tion of  an  honest  fast  offering  have 
given  us  some  concern  recently.  I  de- 
sire to  speak  on  those  two  very  closely 
related  subjects  today. 

Fasting  consists  in  the  complete 
abstinence  from  food  and  drink.  Fasting, 
with  prayer,  its  companion,  is  designed 
to  increase  spirituality,  to  foster  a  spirit 
of  devotion  and  a  love  of  God,  to  in- 
crease faith  in  the  hearts  of  men,  thus 
assuring  divine  favor;  to  encourage 
humility  and  contrition  of  soul;  to  aid 
in  the  acquirement  of  righteousness;  and 
to  teach  man  his  nothingness  and  de- 
pendence upon  God;  and  to  hasten  along 
the  path  of  salvation  those  who  properly 
comply  with  this  law  of  fasting. 

There  are  many  specific  reasons  for 
fasting  recorded  in  the  scriptures.  It  is 
a  general  obligation  imposed  by  reve- 
lation upon  Church  members.    It  is  in 


itself  a  form  of  true  worship  of  God. 
In  1832  the  Lord  gave  a  revelation  to  the 
Prophet  Joseph,  when  he  stated:  "...  I 
give  unto  you  a  commandment  that  ye 
continue  in  prayer  and  fasting  from 
this  time  forth."  (D&C  88:76.) 

But  this  was  not  the  beginning  of 
fasting.  The  law  is  as  old  as  man.  In 
1932  President  Joseph  Fielding  Smith 
stated:  ". .  .  if  we  had  the  records  before 
us,  we  would  discover  that  fasting  was 
introduced  by  revelation  to  man  in  the 
dawn  of  history."  (Deseret  News, 
August  13,  1932,  p.  5.) 

The  late  President  Joseph  F.  Smith, 
commenting  on  the  law  of  fasting  and 
the  payment  of  an  honest  fast  offering, 
stated:  "It  is,  therefore,  incumbent  upon 
every  Latter-day  Saint  to  give  to  his 
bishop,  on  fast  day,  the  food  [or  its 
equivalent],  that  he  and  his  family 
would  consume  for  the  day,  that  it  may 
be  given  to  the  poor  for  their  benefit 
and  blessing;  or,  in  lieu  of  the  food, 
that  its  equivalent  [value  or]  amount, 
or  if  the  person  is  wealthy,  a  liberal 
donation  in  money,  be  so  reserved  and 
dedicated  to  the  poor."  {Gospel  Doc- 
trine, p.  243.) 

Is  it  proper  to  fast  for  the  sick?  I 
quote  from  2  Samuel:  "David  therefore 
besought  God  for  the  child;  and  David 
fasted,  and  went  in,  and  lay  all  night 
upon  the  earth."  (2  Samuel  12:16.) 

Is  it  proper  to  fast  for  a  special  bless- 
ing? I  wonder  if  everyone  of  us  doesn't 
need  a  special  blessing?  If  I  may  be 
forgiven  right  here,  I  think  I  should  like 
to  tell  you  that  Thursday  morning  in 
the  temple  in  an  upper  room,  all  of  the 
General  Authorities  met  there  in  fasting 
and  prayer.    President  McKay  talked  to 


68 

Saturday,  April  7 

us  and  gave  us  such  assurance  and  such 
comfort  that  will  carry  us  through  this 
conference.  Then  as  he  stood  there, 
he  talked  about  Jesus  and  he  stated: 
"Jesus  Christ  is  the  Head  of  the  Church, 
and  he  is  real."  I  wish  you  could  have 
felt  that.  I  am  sure  you  must  feel  it 
here  today,  because  it  is  here. 

Then  President  Moyle  talked  to  us. 
He  offered  the  opening  prayer,  and  we 
were  all  deeply  touched.  Fasting  for 
a  special  blessing?  Yes,  we  were  fasting 
for  a  special  blessing.  Then  as  Presi- 
dent Moyle  spoke  to  us  a  little  later, 
he  said  he  had  the  feeling  and  the 
assurance  that  we  would  be  comforted 
as  we  came  here  to  speak,  and  that  we 
would  have  the  assurance  that  every- 
thing would  be  done  well.  Fasting  for 
a  special  blessing?    Yes. 

Then  President  Brown  talked  to  us 
and  reassured  us  that  as  we  come  here 
to  this  pulpit,  he  would  bow  his  head 
and  ask  God  to  bless  us.  Fasting  for  a 
special  blessing?    Yes. 

May  I  quote  from  Mosiah  in  the  Book 
of  Mormon:  "And  he  caused  that  the 
priests  should  assemble  themselves  to- 
gether; and  they  began  to  fast,  and  to 
pray  to  the  Lord  their  God  that  he 
would  open  the  mouth  of  Alma,  that  he 
might  speak,  and  also  that  his  limbs 
might  receive  their  strength — that  the 
eyes  of  the  people  might  be  opened  to 
see  and  know  of  the  goodness  and  glory 
of  God. 

"And  it  came  to  pass  after  they  had 
fasted  and  prayed  for  the  space  of  two 
days  and  two  nights,  the  limbs  of  Alma 
received  their  strength,  and  he  stood  up 
and  began  to  speak  unto  them,  bidding 
them  to  be  of  good  comfort:"  (Mosiah 
27:22-23.) 

Is  it  proper  to  fast  in  order  to  gain 
a  testimony?  I  refer  to  Alma  again: 
"Behold,  I  say  unto  you  they  are  made 
known  unto  me  by  the  Holy  Spirit  of 
God.  Behold,  I  have  fasted  and  prayed 
many  days  that  I  might  know  these 
things  of  myself.  And  now  I  do  know  of 
myself  that  they  are  true;  for  the  Lord 
God  hath  made  them  manifest  unto  me 
by  his  Holy  Spirit;  and  this  is  the  spirit 
of  revelation  which  is  in  me."  (Alma 
5:46.) 

Is  it  proper  to  fast  that  we  may  know 
and  speak  the  will  of  the  Lord?   Again 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Second  Day 

from  Alma:  "But  this  is  not  all;  they 
had  given  themselves  to  much  prayer, 
and  fasting;  therefore  they  had  the 
spirit  of  prophecy,  and  the  spirit  of 
revelation,  and  when  they  taught,  they 
taught  with  power  and  authority  of 
God."  (Ibid.,  17:3.) 

In  Third  Nephi  we  read:  "And  it  came 
to  pass  that  as  the  disciples  of  Jesus 
were  journeying  and  were  preaching  the 
things  which  they  had  both  heard  and 
seen,  and  were  baptizing  in  the  name 
of  Jesus,  it  came  to  pass  that  the 
disciples  were  gathered  together  and 
were  united  in  mighty  prayer  and  fast- 
ing." (3  Nephi  27:1.) 

It  is  said  of  Moses,  while  he  was  with 
God  at  Mt.  Sinai:  "And  he  was  there 
with  the  Lord  forty  days  and  forty 
nights;  he  did  neither  eat  bread,  nor 
drink  water.  And  he  wrote  upon  the 
tables  the  words  of  the  covenant,  the 
ten  commandments."  (Exodus  34:28.) 

Is  it  appropriate  to  fast  when  in 
mourning  or  in  sorrow?  Again,  from 
Alma  in  the  Book  of  Mormon:  "And 
thus  there  was  a  tremendous  battle; 
yea,  even  such  an  one  as  never  had 
been  known  among  all  the  people  in  the 
land  from  the  time  Lehi  left  Jerusalem; 
yea,  and  tens  of  thousands  of  the 
Lamanites  were  slain  and  scattered 
abroad. 

"Yea,  the  cry  of  widows  mourning  for 
their  husbands,  and  also  of  fathers 
mourning  for  their  sons,  and  the  daugh- 
ter for  the  brother,  yea,  the  brother  for 
the  father;  and  thus  the  cry  of  mourning 
was  heard  among  all  of  them,  mourn- 
ing for  their  kindred  who  had  been  slain. 

"And  now  surely  this  was  a  sorrowful 
day;  yea,  a  time  of  solemnity,  and  a  time 
of  much  fasting  and  prayer. 

"Now  their  dead  were  not  numbered 
because  of  the  greatness  of  their  num- 
bers; neither  were  the  dead  of  the 
Nephites  numbered — but  it  came  to  pass 
after  they  had  buried  their  dead,  and 
also  after  the  days  of  fasting,  and 
mourning,  and  prayer,  .  .  .  there  began 
to  be  continual  peace  throughout  all  the 
land."  (Alma  28:2,  5-6  and  30:2.) 

Is  it  proper  to  fast  as  a  means  of 
purifying  one's  soul?  In  the  book  of 
Helaman  we  read:  "Nevertheless  they 
did  fast  and  pray  oft,  and  did  wax 
stronger  and  stronger  in  their  humility, 


ELDER  THORPE  B.  ISAACSON 


69 


and  firmer  and  firmer  in  the  faith  of 
Christ,  unto  the  filling  their  souls  with 
joy  and  consolation,  yea,  even  to  the 
purifying  and  the  sanctification  of  their 
hearts,  which  sanctification  cometh  be- 
cause of  their  yielding  their  hearts  unto 
God."  (Helaman  3:35.) 

Amaleki  wrote  to  his  brethren  as  re- 
corded in  the  book  of  Omni:  "And  now, 
my  beloved  brethren,  I  would  that  ye 
should  come  unto  Christ,  who  is  the 
Holy  One  of  Israel,  and  partake  of  his 
salvation,  and  the  power  of  his  redemp- 
tion. Yea,  come  unto  him,  and  offer 
your  whole  souls  as  an  offering  unto 
him,  and  continue  in  fasting  and  pray- 
ing, and  endure  to  the  end;  and  as  the 
Lord  liveth  ye  will  be  saved." 
(Omni  26.) 

Our  Latter-day  Saint  temples  are 
houses  of  fasting.  When  the  Lord  gave 
instructions  for  the  building  of  the  Kirt- 
land  Temple,  he  said:  "And  let  the 
lower  part  of  the  inner  court  be  dedi- 
cated unto  me  for  your  sacrament  offer- 
ings, and  for  your  preaching,  and  your 
fasting,  and  your  praying,  and  the 
offering  up  of  your  most  holy  desires 
unto  me,  saith  your  Lord."  (D&C 
95:16.) 

Listen  to  these  words  of  the  Lord 
to  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  in  1832, 
and  again  repeated  by  the  Prophet 
when  he  dedicated  the  Kirtland  Tem- 
ple in  1836:  "Organize  yourselves; 
prepare  every  needful  thing;  and  estab- 
lish a  house,  even  a  house  of  prayer,  a 
house  of  fasting,  a  house  of  faith,  a 
house  of  learning,  a  house  of  glory, 
a  house  of  order,  a  house  of  God." 
(Ibid.,  88:119;  109:8.) 

Again,  turn  to  the  late  President 
Joseph  F.  Smith  and  eagerly  read  his 
words  on  fasting,  prayer,  and  fast  offer- 
ings, and  the  great  blessing  attendant 
upon  obedience  to  this  law  in  all  of 
its  ramifications:  "It  would  be  a  simple 
matter  for  people  to  comply  with  this 
requirement  to  abstain  from  food  and 
drink  one  day  each  month,  and  to  dedi- 
cate what  would  be  consumed  during 
that  day  to  the  poor,  and  as  much  more 
as  they  pleased.  The  Lord  has  insti- 
tuted this  law;  it  is  simple  and  perfect, 
based  on  reason  and  intelligence,  and 
would  not  only  prove  a  solution  to  the 
question  of  providing  for  the  poor,  but 


it  would  result  in  good  to  those  who 
observe  the  law.  It  would  call  atten- 
tion to  the  sin  of  over-eating,  place  the 
body  in  subjection  to  the  spirit,  and  so 
promote  communion  with  the  Holy 
Ghost,  and  insure  a  spiritual  strength 
and  power  which  the  people  of  the 
nation  so  greatly  need.  (That  was  given 
over  fifty  years  ago.) 

"As  fasting  should  always  be  ac- 
companied by  prayer,  this  law  would 
bring  the  people  nearer  to  God,  and 
divert  their  minds  once  a  month  at 
least,  from  the  mad  rush  of  worldly 
affairs  and  cause  them  to  be  brought 
into  immediate  contact  with  practical, 
pure  and  undefiled  religion — to  visit  the 
fatherless  and  the  widow,  and  keep 
themselves  unspotted  from  the  sins  of 
the  world.  For  religion  is  not  in  believing 
the  commandments  only,  it  is  in  doing 
them.  I  would  to  God  that  men  would 
not  only  believe  Jesus  Christ  and  his 
teachings,  but  would  broaden  their  belief 
to  the  extent  of  doing  the  things  that 
are  taught  by  them,  and  doing  them  in 
spirit."  (Gospel  Doctrine,  pp.  237-238.) 

If  Latter-day  Saints  faithfully  fulfilled 
the  law  of  the  fast,  and  if  they  prayed 
in  connection  therewith  as  commanded 
and  paid  an  honest  fast  offering,  they 
would  be  blessed  more  abundantly — 
both  temporally  and  spiritually — and 
there  would  be  ample  funds  in  the 
Church  to  provide  for  all  our  poor,  as 
the  Lord  has  commanded.  He  has 
given  us  the  way,  but  sad  as  it  may 
seem,  we  are  negligent  about  the  pay- 
ment of  an  honest  fast  offering. 

Many  of  us  may  sometimes  wonder 
why  blessings  are  seemingly  withheld 
from  us.  It  could  well  be  that  the  laws 
on  which  those  blessings  are  predicated 
have  escaped  our  attention  or  that  we 
underestimate  the  necessity  for  obedi- 
ence to  those  laws.  It  may  well  be, 
therefore,  that  many  of  our  desired 
blessings  are  never  realized  because  we 
do  not  more  faithfully  obey  the  law  of 
fasting  and  prayer  and  contribute  for 
the  blessing  of  the  poor  the  full  value 
of  the  meals  not  consumed  on  Fast  Day. 

President  McKay  has  summed  up  the 
great  blessing  attendant  upon  full  obedi- 
ence to  the  law  of  the  fast  when  he 
said:  "All  the  principles  associated  with 
fasting  seem  to  point  to  the  fact  that 


70 

Saturday,  April  7 

it  produces:  (1)  physical  benefits, 
(2)  intellectual  activity,  (3)  spiritual 
strength." 

In  tonight's  Church  Section  of  the 
Deseret  News-Salt  Lake  Telegram — I 
just  saw  it  at  noon  today — there  is  an- 
other very  wonderful  article  on  the 
law  of  the  fast  by  President  McKay. 

Now,  what  of  the  blessings  accruing 
to  the  poor  through  the  payment  of 
the  fast  offering  each  month  by  all 
members  of  the  Church?  Of  course, 
only  those  grateful  souls  who  receive 
such  assistance  could  possibly  describe 
those  blessings.  How  would  the  man 
describe  hunger  who  knows  nothing  of 
its  pangs?  Or  cold  when  he  has  always 
been  warm?  Or  illness  when  he  has 
always  had  good  health? 

Fasting,  prayer,  and  the  contributing 
of  the  full  amount  of  fast  offering  are 
the  Lord's  divine  prescription  for  many 
of  the  blessings  which  everyone  of  us 
needs  in  one  way  or  another  or  at  one 
time  or  another.  In  order  that  this  great 
Church  may  do  its  part  in  taking  care 
of  the  poor,  that  both  the  giver  and  the 
receiver  may  be  blessed  as  the  Lord 
desires,  we  commend  to  you  more  serious 
consideration  of  the  law  of  fasting,  and 
then  prayer  as  its  companion,  and  then 
the  payment  of  an  honest  fast  offering 
in  keeping  with  the  value  of  the  meals 
not  consumed  on  that  day. 

About  the  turn  of  the  century  one  of 
America's  most  brilliant,  prominent  at- 
torneys had  an  occasion  to  defend  a 
helpless  person,  and  he  used  this  very 
beautiful  allegory:  "When  God  decided 
to  make  man,  he  called  the  three  angels 
who  waited  on  his  throne — Justice, 
Truth,  and  Mercy — and  said:  'Shall  we 
make  Man?'  Justice  replied:  'Make  him 
not,  O  God,  for  he  will  trample  on  thy 
laws.'  Truth  replied,  'Make  him  not,  O 
God,  for  he  will  pollute  thy  sanctuaries.' 
Mercy,    kneeling,    looked    through    her 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Second  Day 

tears,  and  said,  'Make  him,  O  God,  and 
I  will  watch  over  him  all  the  days  of 
his  life.' 

"So  God  decided  to  make  man  and 
said,  'Thou  art  a  child  of  Mercy;  go  out 
and  live  with  thy  brothers.'  " 

I  know  that  God  is  our  Father.  I  know 
that  God  lives.  I  know  that  Jesus  is 
our  beloved  Savior.  I  felt  it  strongly 
when  President  McKay  said  the  other 
day,  "Jesus  is  real."  I  am  grateful  to 
you  brethren  whom  we  meet  each  week. 
What  strength  you  give  us  as  we  come  to 
you,  most  of  the  time  in  fasting.  I  am 
grateful  that  I  learned  a  few  days  ago, 
rather  accidentally,  that  my  wife  fasts 
for  me  every  Sunday  morning  as  I  come 
to  you.    For  that  I  am  grateful. 

May  we  live  the  law  of  the  fast,  and 
you  cannot  think  of  fasting  without 
praying.  God  bless  us  that  we  may  take 
seriously  fasting,  praying,  and  the  pay- 
ment of  an  honest  fast  offering  as  the 
Lord  has  divinely  ruled  it  so,  I  pray  in 
the  name  of  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 

President  David  O.  McKay: 

Elder  Thorpe  B.  Isaacson,  Assistant  to 
the  Twelve,  has  just  addressed  us.  The 
Ricks  College  Choir  and  Congregation 
will  now  sing,  "How  Firm  A  Founda- 
tion," conducted  by  Richard  W.  Robison. 
After  the  singing,  Elder  Gordon  B. 
Hinckley  will  speak  to  us. 


The  Ricks  College  Choir  joined  with 
the  Congregation  in  singing  the  hymn, 
"How  Firm  A  Foundation." 

President  David  O.  McKay: 

Elder  Gordon  B.  Hinckley  of  the 
Council  of  the  Twelve  will  now  address 
us.  He  will  be  followed  by  Elder  Howard 
W.  Hunter. 


ELDER  GORDON  B.  HINCKLEY 

Of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 


My  brethren  and  sisters,  I  rejoice  with 
you  in  the  attendance  here  of  bishops 
and  presidents  of  stakes  from  foreign 
lands.  This  is  a  great  and  significant 
day  in  the  history  of  the  Church,  and 


foretells,  I  think,  the  time  when  these 
general  conferences  shall  become  in 
reality  great  parliaments  of  men  gath- 
ered from  over  the  world,  endowed  with 
the  Holy  Priesthood,  whose  only  desire 


ELDER  GORDON  B.  HINCKLEY 


71 


is  to  promote  the  cause  of  peace  and 
goodness  among  the  people  of  the  earth. 

I  rejoice  in  the  reports  which  have 
been  given  by  those  who  have  been 
supervising  the  missions  in  various  parts 
of  the  world.  The  manner  in  which  the 
Lord  is  pouring  out  his  Spirit  upon  the 
people  of  the  earth  quickens  the  testi- 
mony of  each  of  us. 

As  many  of  you  know,  I  have  some 
responsibility  for  the  work  in  the  Far 
East,  and  I  feel  a  compelling  desire  in 
behalf  of  our  dedicated  mission  presi- 
dents and  missionaries  to  give  a  brief 
report  of  what  is  going  on  in  that  part 
of  the  Lord's  earth,  which  is  strange  to 
many  of  us. 

I  have  learned  to  love  those  faraway 
places,  and  those  wonderful  people 
with  the  strange-sounding  names — the 
Hongs  and  the  Kims,  the  Fongs  and  the 
Kumagais — and  all  of  the  host  of  faith- 
ful Latter-day  Saints  who  in  their  lives 
and  words  bear  testimony  of  the  con- 
viction which  they  carry  in  their  hearts 
that  God  truly  lives;  that  Jesus  is  the 
Christ,  the  Redeemer  of  the  world,  the 
Savior  of  mankind;  and  that  Joseph 
Smith  is  a  Prophet,  ordained  of  God  to 
bring  forth  the  re-establishment  of  his 
work  in  this  generation  of  time. 

It  is  an  inspiring  experience,  my  breth- 
ren and  sisters,  to  witness  the  manner 
in  which  the  Lord  is  weaving  the 
tapestry  of  his  grand  design  in  those 
foreign  parts  of  the  earth.  He  is  gather- 
ing his  children  there  as  elsewhere — 
"one  of  a  city  and  two  of  a  family."  He 
is  remembering  the  promises  made  of  old 
as  he  works  among  those  who  have  seen 
so  much  of  poverty  and  misery  and  evil 
and  oppression.  He  is  answering  the 
prayers  of  those  who  have  gone  before, 
and  who  struggled  to  establish  a  foot- 
hold for  the  gospel  in  those  distant 
places. 

What  wonderful  people  these  are 
whose  lives  have  been  touched  by  the 
light  of  the  gospel!  Witnessing  the 
faithful  Saints  in  the  Philippines,  in 
Hong  Kong,  in  Taiwan,  in  Japan,  in 
Korea,  in  Okinawa,  one  is  led  to  de- 
clare with  Peter  of  old: 

"Of  a  truth  I  perceive  that  God  is  no 
respecter  of  persons: 

"But  in  every  nation  he  that  feareth 
him,  and  worketh  righteousness,  is  ac- 
cepted with  him."  (Acts  10:34-35.) 


Today  we  have  some  eight  thousand 
native  members  of  the  Church  in  this 
part  of  the  world,  in  addition  to  many 
faithful  American  Saints  who  are  in 
military  service  and  in  other  positions 
with  the  government.  I  would  not  have 
you  think  that  this  harvest  of  converts 
has  come  easily.  Converts  are  won  hard 
there  as  they  are  elsewhere.  Heartache 
and  discouragement  and  disappointment 
are  all  part  of  the  labor  that  goes  on 
there,  and  behind  today's  achievement 
is  a  history  of  prayer  and  prophecy  and 
patient  waiting  for  the  day  when  the 
Spirit  of  the  Lord  would  move  upon 
these  lands. 

I  have  not  walked  the  crowded  streets 
of  the  Orient,  in  which  today  we  are 
enjoying  a  significant  measure  of  suc- 
cess, without  remembering  with  appre- 
ciation those  of  our  people  who  more 
than  a  century  ago  went  there  under 
direction  of  the  servants  of  the  Lord  to 
initiate  the  work. 

In  a  special  conference  held  August  2, 
1849  in  the  Bowery  that  stood  on  this 
square,  Hosea  Stout  and  two  companions 
were  called  to  go  to  China.  They  arrived 
in  Hong  Kong  in  April  1853.  I  can 
imagine  with  what  misgivings  they  must 
have  stepped  ashore  in  that  place  so 
different  from  the  one  they  had  left. 
They  became  ill  from  the  oppressive 
heat  and  the  food  to  which  they  were 
not  accustomed.  Their  message  fell  on 
deaf  ears.  There  was  no  response  other 
than  ridicule.  In  four  months  they  re- 
turned home. 

A  century  passed,  but  in  the  meantime 
the  realm  of  China  had  been  dedicated 
under  authority  of  the  holy  apostleship 
for  the  preaching  of  the  gospel.  On 
January  9,  1921,  President  David  O. 
McKay,  while  touring  the  missions  of 
the  world,  turned  the  key  to  unlock  the 
door  of  this  great  area  of  the  earth.  I 
have  read  his  prayer  again  and  again.  It 
is  at  once  a  prayer  and  a  dedication  and 
a  prophecy. 

One  or  two  statements  from  that 
prayer  offered  in  the  "Forbidden  City" 
of  Peking  appear  particularly  significant 
to  me.  He  prayed:  "Heavenly  Father 
.  .  .  break  the  bonds  of  superstition,  and 
may  the  young  men  and  young  women 
come  out  of  the  darkness  of  the  past 
into  the  glorious  light  now  shining 
among   the   children   of  men.     Grant, 


72 

Saturday,  April  7 

our  Father,  that  these  young  men  and 
young  women  may  through  upright, 
virtuous  lives  and  prayerful  study  be 
prepared  and  inclined  to  declare  this 
message  of  salvation  in  their  own  tongue 
to  their  fellow  men." 

I  bear  testimony  that  God  is  an- 
swering that  supplication.  The  shackles 
of  superstition  are  falling.  The  young 
men  and  the  young  women  are  coming 
out  of  the  darkness  of  the  past.  I  wish 
that  you  might  have  been  with  us  re- 
cently in  a  conference  in  Hong  Kong  to 
hear  our  young  Chinese  brethren  and 
sisters  sing  the  songs  of  Zion  in  their 
native  Cantonese  and  bear  witness  of 
the  truth  of  this  work  to  congregations 
numbering  more  than  eight  hundred. 
I  wish  you  might  have  talked,  as  I  did, 
with  our  young  native  Chinese  elders 
who  are  serving  as  missionaries.  One 
said:  "I  hated  Americans.  I  hated  all 
foreigners  until  I  met  the  missionaries." 
Another  responded,  paraphrasing  an  old 
Chinese  proverb,  "As  I  look  at  foreigners, 
I  think,  he  is  not  American;  he  is  not 
British;  he  is  not  Canadian;  he  is  my 
brother." 

I  wish  you  might  have  been  with  us 
in  Taiwan  to  hear  a  handsome  and  bril- 
liant young  man  discuss  the  gospel  in 
his  native  Mandarin.  He  was  a  local 
missionary,  a  young  man  whose  fore- 
bears for  generations  before  him  had 
been  Buddhists.  I  have  seen  nowhere 
a  more  able  or  devoted  or  personable 
missionary  in  this  Church. 

In  that  same  dedicatory  prayer  of- 
fered in  1921  President  McKay  stated: 
"May  the  elders  and  sisters  whom  thou 
shalt  call  as  missionaries  have  keen  in- 
sight into  the  mental  and  spiritual  state 
of  the  Chinese  mind.  .  .  .  May  the 
work  prove  joyous,  and  a  rich  harvest 
of  souls  bring  that  peace  to  the  workers' 
hearts  which  surpasseth  all  under- 
standing." 

How  I  wish  you  might  have  been 
with  us  in  an  upstairs  room  in  Tsim 
Sha  Tsui  in  Kowloon,  where  for  thir- 
teen hours  the  elders  and  sisters  bore 
testimony  of  their  love  for  the  Chinese 
people.  I  shall  not  soon  forget  the 
words  of  a  young  man  from  a  comfort- 
able home  in  the  States,  who  stood  in 
a  cold,  barren  room  in  Taipei  in  the 
Republic   of   China   and   said,    "I    am 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Second  Day 

thankful  for  eyes  to  see  and  voice  to 
speak  and  feet  to  go  from  door  to  door 
to  teach  the  gospel  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ." 

Such  is  the  spirit  of  those  who  have 
been  called  from  Los  Angeles  and  Bur- 
bank,  from  Rexburg  and  Logan,  from 
El  Paso  and  Tooele  to  those  strange 
lands,  where  under  the  influence  of  the 
Spirit  they  learn  the  difficult  languages 
and  bring  light  and  faith  and  under- 
standing to  the  wonderful  people  who 
live  there. 

The  story  is  similar  in  Japan.  The 
work  was  opened  in  1901  by  President 
Heber  J.  Grant.  It  was  dreadfully  dis- 
couraging. In  twenty  years  only  127 
converts  came  into  the  Church,  and  the 
mission  was  closed  in  1924.  Then  fol- 
lowing World  War  II  it  was  reopened, 
and  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  began  to  rest 
upon  those  people. 

Today  we  have  more  than  four  thou- 
sand Japanese  members  of  the  Church, 
intelligent  and  able,  as  faithful  and  de- 
voted as  those  in  any  mission  in  the 
world;  and  we  now  have  branches  scat- 
tered from  Okinawa  on  the  south  to  as 
far  north  as  Asahigawa  on  the  island  of 
Hokkaido.  I  feel  confident  and  satisfied 
in  my  heart  that  we  have  a  great  work 
ahead  of  us  among  the  good  people  of 
that  great  nation. 

I  speak  with  comparable  feelings  con- 
cerning the  work  in  Korea.  There  are 
now  some  1,300  members  of  the  Church 
there.  For  the  most  part  they  are  well- 
educated.  They  are  buoyant  in  their 
faith.  The  tears  welled  in  our  eyes  as 
we  stood  with  them  in  a  cold  hall  and 
sang  that  great  hymn  from  the  pen  of 
Brother  William  W.  Phelps: 

"Now  let  us  rejoice  in  the  day  of  salva- 
tion. 
No  longer  as  strangers  on   earth  need 

we  roam. 
Good  tidings  are  sounding   to  us   and 

each  nation, 
And  shortly  the  hour  of  redemption  will 
come,  .  .  ." 

I  have  never  met  with  the  Saints  in 
those  lands  and  listened  to  their  testimo- 
nies and  partaken  of  their  spirit  without 
thinking  of  Paul's  statement  to  the  Athe- 
nians concerning  God,  our  Father,  who 
".  .  .  hath  made  of  one  blood  all 
nations  of  men  for  to  dwell  on  all  the 


ELDER  GORDON  B.  HINCKLEY 


73 


face  of  the  earth,  and  hath  determined 
the  times  before  appointed,  and  the 
bounds  of  their  habitation; 

"That  they  should  seek  the  Lord,  if 
haply  they  might  feel  after  him,  and 
find  him,  .  .  ."  (Acts  17:26-27.) 

That  which  is  going  on  has  demon- 
strated that  the  gospel  is  for  all  of  our 
Father's  children,  and  that  the  good 
people  of  the  Orient  are  as  responsive 
to  its  teachings  as  are  the  people  of  any 
land  when  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord 
touches  their  hearts.  Here  is  one  of  the 
great  evidences  of  the  divinity  of  this 
work.  Wherever  it  is  taught,  the  honest 
in  heart  respond,  each  in  his  own 
tongue  speaking  the  same  testimony. 

One  sees  there  the  same  quiet  kind 
of  miracle  that  one  sees  everywhere 
when  men  and  women  bring  the  gospel 
into  their  lives.  What  a  marvelous 
thing  it  is  to  witness  a  peddler  of  fish, 
a  man  from  the  ranks  of  poverty  and 
superstition,  take  on  a  new  grace  and 
a  new  goodness  when  he  accepts  the 
gospel  and  is  endowed  with  the  Holy 
Priesthood.  He  appears  almost  to  be- 
come a  new  man.  He  literally  is  born 
again  as  he  sheds  old  ways  of  thought 
and  living  and  rises  from  the  very  waters 
of  baptism  to  positions  of  leadership  in 
his  native  land. 

But  with  all  of  the  joy  and  the  in- 
spiration that  come  of  witnessing  this 
marvelous  thing,  there  comes  likewise 
an  almost  overwhelming  sense  of  obliga- 
tion. There  comes  a  new  consciousness 
of  the  magnitude  of  our  great  responsi- 
bility. The  harvest  is  so  great,  and  the 
laborers  are  so  few  in  those  lands  where 
dwell  millions  upon  millions  upon  mil- 
lions of  people.  In  the  city  of  Tokyo 
alone  are  more  than  ten  million,  with 
cities  of  three  and  four  and  five  million 
not  far  removed. 

Brigham  Young,  on  the  occasion  of 
the  departure  of  the  first  missionaries 
to  China,  declared:  "The  work  urges, 
and  is  becoming  very  much  enlarged 
and  extended,  and  requires  a  commen- 
surate accumulation  of  men  and  means, 
and    expansion    of    mind    and    energy, 


ability  and  perseverance."  (Millennial 
Star,  Vol.  15,  p.  107.) 

If  that  were  the  case  in  1852,  how 
much  more  urgent  is  it  today?  My 
brethren  and  sisters,  the  work  is  be- 
coming very  much  enlarged.  It  does 
require  a  commensurate  accumulation 
of  men  and  means.  It  requires  an  ex- 
pansion of  mind  and  energy,  ability  and 
perseverance.  Let  us  prepare  ourselves 
more  diligently  for  the  great  assignment 
which  God  has  laid  upon  us  to  carry  this 
work  to  the  children  of  the  earth  wher- 
ever we  may  be  permitted  to  go. 

To  our  young  men  I  would  like  to 
say,  prepare  yourselves,  not  only  finan- 
cially as  you  have  been  urged  to  do, 
but  also  intellectually  and  morally  and 
spiritually.  Study  languages.  This  gos- 
pel is  not  for  the  people  of  America 
only.  This  gospel  is  for  the  people  of 
the  earth,  and  we  have  incumbent  upon 
us  the  obligation  to  learn  to  speak  their 
tongues.  If  you  be  called  to  a  foreign 
language  mission,  you  will  be  better 
equipped  if  you  have  studied  the  lan- 
guage. If  called  to  an  English-speaking 
mission,  you  will  understand  your  own 
language  better. 

Live  for  the  opportunity  when  you 
may  go  out  as  a  servant  of  the  Lord  and 
an  ambassador  of  eternal  truth  to  the 
people  of  the  world.  "And  this  gospel 
of  the  kingdom  shall  be  preached  in  all 
the  world  for  a  witness  unto  all  nations; 
and  then  shall  the  end  come."  (Matt. 
24:14.)  This  is  our  commission,  and  this 
is  our  obligation  spoken  anciently  and 
reaffirmed  in  modern  revelation. 

God  give  us  the  faith  and  the  wisdom 
and  the  foresight  and  the  breadth  of  vi- 
sion to  go  forward  and  fulfill  it,  I  pray, 
as  I  leave  you  my  testimony,  in  the 
name  of  Jesus  Christ.    Amen. 

President  David  O.  McKay: 

Elder  Gordon  B.  Hinckley  of  the 
Council  of  the  Twelve  has  just  spoken 
to  us.  Elder  Howard  W.  Hunter  of  the 
Council  of  the  Twelve  will  now  speak  to 
us    and    be    our    concluding    speaker. 


74 

Saturday,  April  7 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

ELDER  HOWARD  W.  HUNTER 

Of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 


Second  Day 


For  forty  years  David  had  reigned  over 
Israel,  and  as  his  life  was  drawing  to 
a  close,  he  appointed  his  son  Solomon  as 
his  successor  to  the  throne.  Solomon  in- 
herited the  great  kingdom  which  had 
been  conquered  by  the  military  genius 
of  his  father.  The  empire  extended  from 
the  Mediterranean  Sea  to  the  Euphrates 
and  from  the  Syrian  desert  to  the  Red 
Sea.  It  became  the  task  of  this  young 
man,  then  less  than  twenty  years  of 
age,  to  weld  this  great  empire  into  a 
unity. 

As  his  last  will  and  testament,  King 
David  called  Solomon  to  his  side,  and 
knowing  the  great  task  which  would  fall 
on  the  shoulders  of  this  youth,  he  said 
to  him: 

"I  go  the  way  of  all  the  earth:  be  thou 
strong  therefore,  and  shew  thyself  a 
man; 

"And  keep  the  charge  of  the  Lord  thy 
God,  to  walk  in  his  ways,  to  keep  his 
statutes,  and  his  commandments,  and 
his  judgments,  and  his  testimonies,  as 
it  is  written  in  the  law  of  Moses,  that 
thou  mayest  prosper  in  all  that  thou 
doest,  and  whithersoever  thou  turnest 
thyself":  (1  Kings  2:2-3.) 

After  this,  King  David  died  and  Solo- 
mon commenced  the  administration  of 
the  affairs  of  the  kingdom,  and  the 
record  makes  this  comment:  "And 
Solomon  loved  the  Lord,  walking  in  the 
statutes  of  David  his  father:  .  .  ."  (Ibid., 
3:3.) 

Not  long  after  he  became  king  he 
went  to  a  nearby  city  to  offer  sacri- 
fices, and  while  there  an  event  occurred 
which  had  a  significant  effect  upon  his 
life  and  reign. 

"In  Gibeon  the  Lord  appeared  to 
Solomon  in  a  dream  by  night:  and  God 
said,  Ask  what  I  shall  give  thee." 
(Ibid.,  3:5.) 

What  a  grave  and  serious  question 
this  would  present  to  one,  to  have  the 
Lord  say,  "Ask  what  I  shall  give  thee." 

If  you  could  have  one  wish,  what 
would  it  be?  There  are  so  many  things 
we  wish  for  as  we  go  through  life.  I 
presume  nearly  every  child  who  has  read 
the   story  of  the   Arabian  Nights   has 


wished  for  a  lamp  like  the  one  Aladdin 
had,  which  when  rubbed  would  summon 
the  genie  who  would  do  the  bidding 
regardless  of  the  request  made  of  him. 
Wishing  is  not  only  the  pastime  of 
children.  Most  of  us  have  made  wishes. 
We  have  wished  for  health  and  wealth, 
success,  happiness,  wisdom,  a  better  job, 
a  new  car,  a  diamond  ring,  a  magic 
carpet,  to  be  like  someone  else,  to  have 
that  which  is  not  within  reach,  to  be 
given  the  easy  way  instead  of  the  path 
of  toil  and  hardship — and  a  thousand 
and  one  other  things. 

We  might  wonder  what  went  through 
Solomon's  mind  when  the  Lord  said  to 
him,  "Ask  what  I  shall  give  thee."  No 
doubt  his  mind  traveled  the  same  course 
as  ours  would  travel  if  the  question  had 
been  asked  of  us.  Solomon  had  just 
ascended  the  throne,  and  although  he 
had  ambitions  for  the  future,  he  must 
have  had  some  fears  and  anxieties.  The 
fact  that  he  was  a  king  would  give  him 
the  right  to  most  things  a  person  would 
want,  yet  a  king  has  many  of  the  prob- 
lems and  the  desires  of  those  who  are 
not  of  royalty.  The  question  would  be 
no  less  difficult  for  a  king  than  it  would 
be  to  one  of  a  more  lowly  station. 

Solomon  must  have  had  many 
thoughts  cross  his  mind.  We  might 
assume  he  thought  of  asking  for  a  long 
life.  Others  have  done  so  when  the 
question  was  put  to  them.  A  long  life 
would  have  given  him  the  opportunity 
to  complete  the  ambitions  of  his  father 
to  build  and  extend  the  empire.  We 
cling  to  life,  we  wish  for  more  time  to 
accomplish  the  many  things  opportunity 
places  in  our  pathway.  Time  is  usually 
all  too  short  when  we  think  of  the 
things  we  want  to  do  and  the  lessons 
we  wish  to  learn  before  the  time  comes 
for  us  to  return  home.  No  doubt  Solo- 
mon thought  of  these  things  as  he 
viewed  the  extent  of  his  great  empire, 
yet  this  was  not  foremost  in  his  mind. 

He  might  have  thought  of  riches  and 
wealth.  Another  king  before  him  had 
made  such  a  wish.  In  mythology  the 
Greek  god  Bacchus  gave  to  King  Midas 
any  wish  he  could  name  because  he  had 


ELDER  HOWARD  W.  HUNTER 


75 


rescued  one  of  his  followers.  King 
Midas  asked  that  all  he  touched  should 
be  turned  into  gold,  but  he  soon  learned 
its  utter  uselessness  when  food  and 
drink  became  gold  at  the  touch  of  his 
lips.  Most  of  the  early  sovereigns  of 
the  ancient  world  have  been  known  for 
their  great  accumulation  of  the  treasures 
of  the  earth.  Wealth  has  always  been 
associated  with  power.  One  might  as- 
sume that  a  king  would  have  a  desire 
for  wealth  in  order  to  spread  his  influ- 
ence and  prestige  and  to  extend  the 
borders  of  his  kingdom.  But  Solomon 
did  not  ask  for  riches  or  wealth. 

The  history  of  the  reign  of  his  father 
over  Israel  was  one  of  wars  with  the 
Philistines  and  with  the  Syrians  and 
many  other  campaigns.  These  con- 
quests gave  Israel  the  foremost  place 
among  the  nations  between  the  Eu- 
phrates and  Egypt.  To  maintain  this 
superiority,  Solomon  was  challenged  at 
the  beginning  of  his  reign  to  maintain 
a  large  standing  army  to  provide  for  the 
defense  of  the  empire.  He  organized  a 
cavalry  force  of  12,000.  He  equipped 
the  royal  stables  with  4,000  stalls  to 
maintain  the  1,400  royal  chariots.  He 
fortified  Jerusalem  and  other  cities  for 
protection  against  invasion  and  to  pre- 
serve the  trade  routes  for  commerce. 
Israel's  fighting  strength  consisted  of 
about  300,000  men.  With  all  of  these 
problems  facing  him,  Solomon  might 
have  asked  the  Lord  to  give  him  power 
over  his  enemies,  for  he  had  enemies 
from  without  the  empire,  and  he  had 
personal  enemies  within. 

The  young  king  asked  for  none  of 
these  things.  His  answer  to  the  Lord 
was  simple  and  direct: 

"And  Solomon  said,  Thou  hast  shewed 
unto  thy  servant  David  my  father  great 
mercy,  according  as  he  walked  before 
thee  in  truth,  and  in  righteousness,  and 
in  uprightness  of  heart  with  thee;  and 
thou  hast  kept  for  him  this  great  kind- 
ness, that  thou  hast  given  him  a  son 
to  sit  on  his  throne,  as  it  is  this  day. 

"And  now,  O  Lord  my  God,  thou  hast 
made  thy  servant  king  instead  of  David 
my  father:  and  I  am  but  a  little  child: 
I  know  not  how  to  go  out  or  come  in. 

"And  thy  servant  is  in  the  midst  of 
thy  people  which  thou  hast  chosen,  a 
great  people,  that  cannot  be  numbered 
nor  counted  for  multitude. 


"Give  therefore  thy  servant  an  under- 
standing heart  to  judge  thy  people,  that 
I  may  discern  between  good  and  bad: 
for  who  is  able  to  judge  this  thy  so  great 
a  people?"  (Ibid.,  3:6-9.) 

"Give  therefore  thy  servant,"  said  the 
young  king,  "an  understanding  heart." 
He  did  not  ask  for  material  things  of 
the  world,  but  a  spiritual  gift — an  un- 
derstanding heart. 

"And  the  speech  pleased  the  Lord, 
that  Solomon  had  asked  this  thing. 

"And  God  said  unto  him,  Because 
thou  hast  asked  this  thing,  and  hast  not 
asked  for  thyself  long  life;  neither  hast 
asked  riches  for  thyself,  nor  hast  asked 
the  life  of  thine  enemies;  but  hast  asked 
for  thyself  understanding  to  discern 
judgment; 

"Behold,  I  have  done  according  to  thy 
words:  lo,  I  have  given  thee  a  wise  and 
an  understanding  heart;  so  that  there 
was  none  like  thee  before  thee,  neither 
after  thee  shall  any  arise  like  unto 
thee. 

"And  I  have  also  given  thee  that 
which  thou  hast  not  asked,  both  riches, 
and  honour:  so  that  there  shall  not  be 
any  among  the  kings  like  unto  thee  all 
thy  days."  (Ibid.,  3:10-13.) 

If  the  Lord  was  pleased  because  of 
that  which  Solomon  had  asked  of  him, 
surely  he  would  be  pleased  with  each 
of  us  if  we  had  the  desire  to  acquire  an 
understanding  heart.  This  must  come 
from  conscious  effort  coupled  with  faith 
and  firm  determination.  An  understand- 
ing heart  results  from  the  experiences 
we  have  in  life  if  we  keep  the  com- 
mandments of  God.  Jesus  said:  ".  .  . 
Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with 
all  thy  heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul, 
and  with  all  thy  mind. 

"This  is  the  first  and  great  command- 
ment. 

"And  the  second  is  like  unto  it,  Thou 
shalt  love  thy  neighbour  as  thyself." 
(Matt.  22:37-39.) 

To  love  one's  neighbor  is  noble  and 
inspiring,  whether  the  neighbor  is  one 
who  lives  close  by,  or  in  a  broader 
sense,  a  fellow  being  of  the  human  race. 
It  stimulates  the  desire  to  promote  hap- 
piness, comfort,  interest,  and  the  wel- 
fare of  others.  It  creates  understanding. 
The  ills  of  the  world  would  be  cured 
by  understanding.  Wars  would  cease 
and    crime    disappear.     The    scientific 


76 

Saturday,  April  7 

knowledge  now  being  wasted  in  the 
world  because  of  the  distrust  of  men 
and  nations  could  be  diverted  to  bless 
mankind.  Atomic  energy  will  destroy 
unless  used  for  peaceful  purposes  by 
understanding  hearts. 

We  need  more  understanding  in  our 
relationships  with  one  another,  in  busi- 
ness and  in  industry,  between  manage- 
ment and  labor,  between  government 
and  the  governed.  We  need  under- 
standing in  that  most  important  of  all 
social  units,  the  family;  understanding 
between  children  and  parents  and  be- 
tween husband  and  wife.  Marriage 
would  bring  happiness,  and  divorce 
would  be  unknown  if  there  were  under- 
standing hearts.  Hatred  tears  down, 
but  understanding  builds  up. 

Our  prayer  could  well  be  as  was 
Solomon's,  "Lord,  give  me  an  under- 
standing heart." 

Surely  God  lives.  I  know  he  does. 
It  is  my  witness  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ, 
the  Savior  of  mankind.  May  his  bless- 
ings continue  to  be  with  us,  I  pray  in 
his  name.   Amen. 


President  David  O.  McKay: 

Elder  Howard  W.  Hunter  of  the 
Council  of  the  Twelve  has  just  con- 
cluded speaking.  The  Ricks  College 
Choir  will  sing,  "How  Lovely  Are  The 
Messengers,"  conducted  by  Richard  W. 
Robison.  The  benediction  will  be  of- 
fered by  Elder  Lorin  N.  Pace,  formerly 
president  of  the  Argentine  Mission,  after 
which  this  Conference  will  be  adjourned 
until  seven  o'clock  this  evening,  when 
the  general  meeting  of  the  Priesthood  of 
the  Church  will  be  held  in  the  Salt  Lake 
Tabernacle  and  in  other  places  set 
apart  for  that  purpose.  Persons  not 
holding  the  Holy  Priesthood  will  please 
refrain  from  attempting  to  enter  any  of 
the  buildings  set  apart  for  this  purpose. 
It  will  not  be  broadcast  publicly,  but  in 
addition  to  the  overflow  meetings  in  the 
Assembly  Hall  and  in  Barratt  Hall,  the 
proceedings  of  this  Priesthood  Meeting 
will  be  relayed  by  closed  circuit  originat- 
ing in  the  Tabernacle  to  members  of  the 
Priesthood  assembled  in  320  locations  in 
all  parts  of  the  nation,  in  Canada,  and 
elsewhere.  It  is  estimated  that  55,000 
will  participate  in  this  meeting  by  direct 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Second  Day 

wire.  This  does  not  include  those  in  the 
Tabernacle,  in  the  Assembly  Hall,  and 
in  Barratt  Hall. 

The  general  session  tomorrow  morn- 
ing, Sunday,  will  be  broadcast  through 
the  generous  cooperation  of  owners  and 
managers  of  radio  and  television  stations 
over  50  television  stations  and  16  radio 
stations  located  from  coast  to  coast.  In 
addition,  the  proceedings  of  this  session 
will  be  carried  by  short-wave  stations  in 
Europe,  Africa,  Mexico,  Central  Ameri- 
ca, South  America,  the  Caribbean  area, 
and  the  South  Pacific.  We  express  ap- 
preciation to  Brother  Arch  L.  Madsen, 
president  of  KSL,  and  Elder  Gordon  B. 
Hinckley  for  the  service  rendered  in 
arranging  for  these  broadcasts.  We  are 
not  unmindful  of  the  friendship  mani- 
fested by  these  owners  of  stations  and 
their  willingness  to  cooperate  with  us. 
That  in  itself  tells  a  great  story. 

It  is  estimated  that  the  potential  au- 
dience in  the  United  States  and  Canada 
capable  of  hearing  and  viewing  some 
parts  of  the  Conference  will  exceed  sixty 
million  and  many  thousands  more  in 
foreign  countries  will  participate  by 
means  of  short-wave  broadcasts.  Thus 
the  sessions  of  this  Conference  will  be 
heard  and  seen  by  the  largest  number 
of  people  in  the  history  of  the  Church. 

The  Tabernacle  Choir  Broadcast  will 
be  from  9:35  to  10:00  a.m.  Those  desir- 
ing to  attend  this  broadcast  must  be  in 
their  seats  no  later  than  9:10  a.m.  We 
have  been  requested  to  ask  that  those 
attending  remain  quiet  during  this  na- 
tional broadcast.  There  will  be  large 
crowds  attending  the  services  on  Sunday 
and  we  ask  you  to  be  considerate  and 
courteous  one  to  another  at  all  times. 
Please  avoid  pushing  and  crowding. 

The  singing  for  this  session  has  been 
furnished,  as  I  have  already  announced, 
by  the  Ricks  College  Choir,  under  the 
direction  of  Richard  W.  Robison,  and 
Frank  W.  Asper  at  the  organ.  We  ap- 
preciate not  alone  the  singing,  but  the 
presence  of  these  young  people,  and  those 
who  left  their  homes  early  this  morning 
— at  three  o'clock — to  attend  this  service, 
seminary  students,  and  young  people 
everywhere.  We  hear  a  great  deal  about 
the  boys  and  girls  of  teen  age  who  cause 
trouble,  but  we  never  hear  much  about 
the  95%  of  the  young  boys  and  girls  in 
the  Church  who  are  living  noble  lives. 


GENERAL  PRIESTHOOD  MEETING 


77 


Someone  said,  I  do  not  know  who: 
If  I  had  a  voice,  a  persuasive  voice, 
That  could  travel  the  wide  world 
through 

I  would  fly  in  the  wings  of  the 
morning  light 
And  speak  to  men  with  gentle 

might 
And  tell  them  to  be  true. 

I  should  like  to  say  to  you  young  peo- 
ple and  all  those  who  came  so  early 
this  morning,  and  to  all  who  have  been 
listening  in,  to  be  true  to  the  ideals  de- 
clared and  promulgated  by  these  inspired 
leaders  who  have  spoken  to  you  this 
morning  and  this  afternoon  and  through- 
out the  previous  sessions  of  this  confer- 
ence, to  be  true  to  your  youth,  to  the 
virtues  of  youth,  to  the  Gospel;  to  be 
true  to  your   God,   and   you  will   find 


happiness  and  joy  in  this  old  world,  for 
it  is  a  great  old  world,  and  it  is  filled 
with  noble  men  and  women.  There  are 
very  few  bad  people;  most  of  them  are 
good.  They  want  to  do  what  is  right, 
and  you  should  contribute  by  your  liv- 
ing to  assist  them,  and  happiness  will  be 
with  you,  for  which  we  pray  God  to 
bless  you.  Thank  you,  and  thank  your 
leadersl  A  safe  journey  on  your  return 
home! 

The  Choir  will  now  sing,  and  the 
benediction  will  be  offered. 

Singing  by  the  Ricks  College  Choir, 
"How  Lovely  Are  The  Messengers." 

Elder  Lorin  N.  Pace,  formerly  presi- 
dent of  the  Argentine  Mission,  offered 
the  closing  prayer. 

Conference  adjourned  until  7:00  p.m. 


GENERAL  PRIESTHOOD  MEETING 


The  General  Priesthood  Meeting  of 
the  Church  convened  in  the  Tabernacle 
at  7:00  p.m.,  Saturday,  April  7. 

President  David  O.  McKay  was  pres- 
ent and  presided.  At  the  President's 
request,  President  Hugh  B.  Brown,  Sec- 
ond Counselor  in  the  First  Presidency, 
conducted  the  proceedings  of  this 
meeting. 

The  music  was  furnished  by  the 
Men's  Chorus  of  the  Tabernacle  Choir, 
Richard  P.  Condie  conducting,  Frank 
W.  Asper  at  the  organ. 

President  Brown  made  the  following 
introductory  remarks: 

President  Hugh  B.  Brown: 

Brethren  of  the  Priesthood,  not  because 
of  any  indisposition,  but  out  of  the  kind- 
ness of  his  heart,  President  McKay  has 
asked  that  I  conduct  this  session,  and  I 
shall  do  so  humbly  under  his  Presidency, 
and  for  the  benefit  of  those  who  are 
listening  in  and  do  not  know,  I  should 
announce  that  this  is  Brother  Brown 
speaking. 

This  is  a  General  Priesthood  Session 
of  the  132nd  Annual  Conference  of  The 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day 
Saints.  You  will  be  interested  to  know 
that  these  services  are  being  relayed  by 
closed  circuit  to  members  of  the  Priest- 


hood gathered  in  the  Assembly  Hall, 
Barratt  Hall,  and  320  other  Church 
buildings  from  Coast  to  Coast  and  in 
Canada. 

The  singing  during  this  session  will  be 
furnished  by  men  of  the  Tabernacle 
Choir,  with  Richard  P.  Condie,  Direct- 
or, and  Frank  W.  Asper  at  the  organ. 
We  shall  begin  these  services  by  the 
Men's  Chorus  of  the  Tabernacle  Choir 
singing,  "Ye  Who  Are  Called  To  Labor." 
The  invocation  will  be  offered  by  Elder 
Archibald  Jacob  Anderson,  president  of 
the  North  Sanpete  Stake. 

The  Men's  Chorus  of  the  Tabernacle 
Choir  sang  the  hymn,  "Ye  Who  Are 
Called  To  Labor." 

Elder  Archibald  J.  Anderson,  presi- 
dent of  the  North  Sanpete  Stake,  offered 
the  opening  prayer. 

President  Hugh  B.  Brown: 

The  invocation  was  offered  by  Presi- 
dent Archibald  Jacob  Anderson  of  the 
North  Sanpete  Stake.  The  men  of  the 
Tabernacle  Choir  will  now  sing,  "Thou 
Art  Repose,"  Brother  Condie  conducting. 


The  Men  of   the  Tabernacle  Choir 
sang  the  anthem,  "Thou  Art  Repose." 


78 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Saturday,  April  7 

President  Hugh  B.  Brown: 

Without  in  any  way  detracting  from 
the  beauty  of  the  singing  of  our  sisters 
and  our  mixed  choruses,  the  President 
would  have  me  say  to  this  fine  group 
from  the  Tabernacle  Choir  that  there  is 
something  soul-stirring  and  beautiful  in 


Second  Day 

a  Men's  Chorus.  We  thank  them  sincere- 
ly for  this  beautiful  rendition. 

Our  first  speaker  this  evening  will  be 
Bishop  Robert  L.  Simpson,  First  Coun- 
selor in  the  Presiding  Bishopric  of  the 
Church.  He  will  be  followed  by  Bishop 
Victor  L.  Brown. 


BISHOP  ROBERT  L.  SIMPSON 

First  Counselor  in  the  Presiding  Bishopric 


My  dear  brethren  of  the  priesthood,  this 
is  one  of  the  most  thrilling  moments  that 
any  man  could  experience  in  mortality. 
I  am  certain  there  is  nothing  to  com- 
pare with  it — the  thrill  of  participating 
in  the  greatest  priesthood  assemblage  in 
the  history  of  the  world.  These  are 
significant  times,  brethren,  and  we 
should  all  be  grateful  to  be  taking  part 
in  this  historic  priesthood  meeting. 

May  I  take  just  a  brief  moment  to  ex- 
press personal  greeting  to  those  leaders 
from  distant  lands  who  have  been  called 
by  a  prophet  to  represent  their  people 
at  this  great  conference.  May  I  express 
a  special,  warm  Kia  Ora  to  those  from 
New  Zealand  who  have  done  so  much 
for  me  in  my  life. 

We  extend  the  arm  of  fellowship  to 
every  man  and  boy  sitting  in  distant 
places.  You  too  are  participants  in  this 
meeting.  Though  miles  away,  your 
presence  is  a  reality,  and  we  feel  your 
spirit  in  this  historic  Tabernacle  in 
spite  of  the  distance  that  separates  us. 

Brethren,  have  you  ever  heard  the 
beautiful  song,  "No  Man  Is  an  Island"? 
Seclusion  is  incompatible  with  the  spirit 
of  the  priesthood,  and  when  you  really 
analyze  it,  what  can  a  man  do  for  him- 
self with  the  priesthood?  You  young 
men  administer  the  Sacrament  for 
others.  You  usher  and  do  things  around 
the  chapel  for  the  convenience  and  com- 
fort of  others.  The  priests  administer 
the  Sacrament  that  others  might  partake. 

Brethren  of  the  Melchizedek  Priest- 
hood, you  bless  the  sick.  We  do  not 
bless  ourselves  with  the  priesthood.  We 
call  in  others  who  have  the  priesthood 
to  bless  us.  We  are  always  thinking 
in  terms  of  someone  else  when  we  use 
the  priesthood.  To  wilfully  hide  our- 
selves and  live  as  hermits  would  be  to 


allow  our  priesthood  to  wither  and  die. 
The  Savior  showed  us  the  way;  he  set 
the  pattern.  His  was  a  life  of  thinking 
and  doing  for  others.  This  was  the  sum 
and  substance  of  his  entire  existence  in 
mortality. 

Our  great  challenge  here  in  mortality, 
then,  is  in  the  overcoming — the  overcom- 
ing of  things  in  mortality,  these  obstacles 
of  the  flesh;  and  in  due  course  all  appe- 
tites and  habits  must  be  brought  under 
control  that  we  may  feel  comfortable  in 
the  presence  of  the  Lord. 

"To  him  that  overcometh  will  I  grant 
to  sit  with  me  in  my  throne,  even  as  I 
also  overcame,  and  am  set  down  with 
my  Father  in  his  throne."  (Rev.  3:21.) 

Is  there  a  priesthood  holder  within 
range  of  my  voice  that  does  not  have  as 
the  foremost  desire  of  his  heart  the  great 
possibility  of  one  day  regaining  the 
presence  of  his  Heavenly  Father?  This 
is  the  sum  and  substance  of  it  all.  To 
aspire  to  this  great  blessing  supersedes 
all  else  in  the  mind  and  heart  of  the 
priesthood  holder. 

All  of  us  need  help  in  this  important 
process  of  overcoming.  The  man  doesn't 
live  that  is  capable  of  doing  it  on  his 
own.  "No  man  is  an  island";  no  being 
can  stand  alone. 

One  of  the  wisest  things  that  we  can 
do  is  to  benefit  from  others  who  have 
passed  this  way.  Our  first  loyal  band 
of  pioneers  who  entered  this  beautiful 
valley  nearly  115  years  ago  had  scouts 
exploring  many  dead-end  canyons  and 
impossible  mountain  passes  in  selecting 
the  best  possible  route  for  covered 
wagons.  Subsequent  companies  found 
it  much  easier.  The  mistakes  had  al- 
ready been  made.  Why  make  them 
again? 

It  would  be  foolish  for  us  to  waste 


BISHOP  ROBERT  L.  SIMPSON 


79 


time  in  remaking  all  of  the  mistakes  of 
our  predecessors.  In  the  first  place,  we 
would  not  live  long  enough  to  make 
all  the  mistakes,  so  we  must  do  the  wise 
thing.  We  must  take  advantage  of  mis- 
takes that  have  already  been  made. 
Perhaps  the  Lord  had  this  in  mind  when 
he  gave  us  the  thought  that  "the  glory 
of  God  is  intelligence."  Certainly  that 
man  is  intelligent  who  would  take  ad- 
vantage of  a  path  that  has  already  been 
clearly  marked. 

And  so,  the  intelligence  to  benefit 
from  those  who  know  is  really  the  key 
to  our  success.  And  now  we  ask  the 
question,  "Who  are  those  who  know? 
Whom  can  we  trust  as  we  seek  counsel 
on  vital  matters?"  And  I  would  like  to 
direct  the  thinking  at  this  point  to  our 
young  men  of  the  Aaronic  Priesthood, 
these  young  men  who  have  many  prob- 
lems, many  questions,  always  wonder- 
ing who  would  be  the  logical  person. 

It  is  easy  to  be  misled.  It  is  so  simple 
to  seek  our  information  from  the  im- 
proper source.  I  once  heard  a  story  about 
a  jeweler.  This  jeweler  kept  a  fine-look- 
ing chronometer  in  his  store  window  to 
attract  attention  and  as  a  suggestion  of 
accurate  time  keeping.  Early  each 
morning  he  noticed  a  man  through  the 
window.  He  would  stop,  look  at  the 
chronometer,  and  then  carefully  adjust 
his  watch  accordingly. 

One  day  the  jeweler  was  outside 
sweeping  the  walk  in  preparation  for  his 
day's  business  when  the  usual  passerby 
stopped  for  his  usual  watch-setting  cere- 
mony, and  the  jeweler  asked  the  man 
why  he  always  stopped  to  set  his  watch 
at  the  same  time  every  morning. 

"Well,  you  see,"  said  the  man  proudly, 
"I  happen  to  be  the  timekeeper  at  the 
plant.  One  of  my  jobs  is  to  blow  the 
whistle  at  precisely  8:00  am  and  at  4:30 
pm.  They  all  depend  on  my  whistle 
to  be  accurate."  The  jeweler  smiled  and 
said,  "Well,  do  you  know,  for  over  a 
year  now  I  have  been  setting  my 
chronometer  by  your  whistle!" 

So  you  see,  young  men,  sometimes  we 
are  misled,  uncertain  as  to  where  the 
real  authoritative  source  might  be. 
Sometimes  we  see  a  fine-looking  chron- 
ometer, but  it  has  to  be  working 
properly  and  it  has  to  be  set  properly. 
Sometimes  we  see  men  who  are  esteemed 


men  in  the  community,  but  they  may 
not  always  be  the  best  source  for  the 
question  that  we  have. 

Young  men,  you  have  three  main  au- 
thoritative sources  for  your  information. 
The  first  is  your  Heavenly  Father,  and 
just  as  surely  as  the  Prophet  Joseph  re- 
ceived an  answer  to  his  humble  question 
142  years  ago,  so  you  may  expect  guid- 
ance from  a  loving  Heavenly  Father. 

The  second  authoritative  source  of 
correct  counsel  and  guidance  is  avail- 
able from  the  one  you  affectionately 
refer  to  as  "Dad."  Dad,  I  hope  the  door 
is  open  for  your  boy.  I  hope  the  door 
is  open  wide  that  he  may  seek  counsel 
when  it  is  required.  I  hope  he  can  come 
to  his  dad  and  talk  about  vital  matters 
without  being  embarrassed.  I  hope  we 
dads  are  living  closely  enough  to  our 
family  situations  that  we  may  sense  the 
appropriate  time  and  place  for  a  few 
minutes  of  kindly  talk,  and,  incidentally 
dads,  lots  of  listening,  lots  of  listening! 
I  think  this  is  the  key  to  effective  coun- 
seling with  our  young  people.  We  have 
to  do  lots  of  listening.  We  have  to  have 
the  full  story  before  we  can  counsel 
properly. 

And  boys,  I  want  to  tell  you  that  you 
will  never  have  a  better  friend  in  all 
your  lives  than  your  dad,  and  don't  you 
ever  forget  it. 

The  third  authoritative  source  is  your 
wonderful  bishop — one  who  has  been 
ordained  and  set  apart  to  be  the  father 
of  his  ward,  and  especially  a  friend  to 
the  Aaronic  Priesthood  boys  and  to  girls 
of  corresponding  age. 

Bishop,  are  you  too  busy  to  counsel 
with  your  young  people?  If  you  are  too 
busy,  then  the  work  load  must  be  re- 
organized. How  about  assigning  addi- 
tional jobs  to  your  counselors?  How 
about  letting  them  carry  some  of  the 
other  loads  so  you  can  free  yourself 
for  the  all-important  job  of  counseling 
with  your  young  people  at  convenient 
and  frequent  intervals? 

When  to  interview?  Always  before  a 
boy  is  ordained  or  advanced  in  the 
priesthood.  Always  at  the  end  of  every 
year  as  we  evaluate  the  boy  for  another 
Aaronic  Priesthood  award.  And  cer- 
tainly whenever  needed  as  may  be  di- 
rected by  the  Spirit  of  our  Heavenly 
Father. 


80 

Saturday,  April  7 

How  do  we  interview,  bishops?  We 
interview  with  the  spirit  of  love,  and 
this  should  be  the  entire  purpose  of 
every  interview — love.  This  should  be 
the  underlying  factor.  There  should 
be  no  other  source  but  love  as  we  talk  to 
our  young  people  and  seek  to  guide  them 
in  the  proper  direction.  And  like  dad, 
the  bishop  should  be  a  good  listener, 
too,  with  the  wisdom  of  Solomon. 

Now,  young  men,  we  have  just  talked 
about  three  good  sources  of  counsel,  and 
I  hope  we  do  not  go  to  the  gang  to 
get  our  counsel.  I  hope  we  do  not  go 
to  boys  of  our  age  who  have  not  been 
over  the  trail,  boys  who  have  just  heard, 
but  really  don't  know  what  to  advise. 
Oh,  they  will  always  be  quick  to  give 
advice,  but  it  is  not  always  the  right 
source.  You  may  even  find  a  boy  who 
is  older  than  the  rest,  who  may  have 
set  himself  up  as  somewhat  of  a 
chronometer.  He  may  look  impressive, 
but,  boys,  let's  depend  on  our  Heavenly 
Father.  Let's  depend  on  dad,  and  let's 
look  to  the  bishop  for  the  counsel  that 
will  be  most  effective  in  our  lives. 

Communication — heart-to-heart  com- 
munication! I  wonder  how  much  better 
off  the  world  would  be  today  if  proper 
communication,  not  just  words,  but 
proper  communication  were  taking  place 
where  we  feel  the  spirit  of  what  is  being 
said  and  receive  the  true  interpretation? 
Then  counseling  could  go  on  properly. 
Men's  minds  would  come  to  a  common 
understanding,  and  there  would  be 
peace. 

We  read  in  Proverbs:  "Where  no 
counsel  is,  the  people  fall:  but  in  the 
multitude  of  counsellers  there  is  safety." 
(Prov.  11:14.)  I  am  certain  that  the 
Lord  meant  exactly  what  we  are  talking 
about  tonight  when  he  refers  to  the 
multitude  of  counselors — thousands  of 
dads,  hundreds  of  bishops. 

Now,  young  men  of  the  Aaronic 
Priesthood,  it  takes  determination — de- 
termination to  do  the  right  thing  at  the 
right  time.  And  so  we  as  a  Presiding 
Bishopric  would  admonish  you  tonight 
to  seek  out  your  dad  and  your  bishop  at 
the  appropriate  time  and  let  them  listen 
to  your  story,  and  I  want  to  tell  you 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Second  Day 

that  you  will  be  guided  in  the  right 
path. 

And,  young  men,  as  you  have  this 
determination  to  live  your  lives  right 
and  prepare  yourselves  for  Melchizedek 
Priesthood  opportunities '  tomorrow,  I 
would  quickly  like  to  tell  you  a  story. 
It  comes  from  far-off  New  Zealand,  and 
it  is  one  of  the  finest  stories  that  I 
have  heard  in  a  long  time.  It  concerns 
a  world  champion. 

This  world  champion  is  Peter  Snell, 
who  holds  several  world  records,  in- 
cluding the  mile  run.  He  set  this  record 
just  a  few  months  ago.  Do  you  know 
how  Peter  Snell  trains?  Do  you  know 
what  he  goes  through?  He  was  telling 
a  group  of  LDS  people  down  in  New 
Zealand  just  a  few  weeks  ago  that  when 
he  goes  out  to  run,  he  does  all  of  his 
running  uphill,  and  then  when  he  meets 
his  competition  on  a  flat  track  it  seems 
like  running  downhill.  Then  he  will 
go  out  and  run  in  the  sand,  in  the  deep 
sand,  and  when  he  gets  on  a  flat  cinder 
track,  he  feels  just  as  if  his  feet  have 
wings  on  them.  You  will  see  Peter 
Snell  out  running  on  the  wettest,  most 
blustery,  wintry  day,  and  when  you  ask 
Peter  Snell  why  he  is  out  running  on 
such  a  day  as  this,  his  answer  is,  "The 
opposition  is  all  home  by  the  fire.  Now 
I  can  get  the  edge  on  them."  These  are 
the  thoughts  of  a  champion. 

Young  men  of  the  priesthood,  tomor- 
row's challenge  is  great.  Why  don't  you 
exert  the  effort  to  do  some  running  in 
the  sand?  Do  a  little  plugging  uphill, 
and  work  when  it  is  not  always  con- 
venient, when  it  might  be  a  little  stormy 
out;  and  I  want  to  tell  you  young  men, 
you  will  be  headed  in  the  direction  of  a 
champion  in  the  priesthood  of  your 
Heavenly  Father. 

Brethren  of  the  priesthood,  I  bear  you 
my  testimony  that  the  gospel  is  true.  I 
know  with  all  my  heart  it  is  true,  and 
I  know  for  a  surety  that  the  boy  Prophet 
went  into  the  grove;  there  he  saw  God 
the  Father  and  his  Son.  I  know  this 
just  as  surely  as  I  stand  here,  because  it 
has  been  revealed  to  me  in  my  heart, 
and  I  am  grateful  for  that. 

I  leave  this  testimony  with  you  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.    Amen. 


BISHOP  VICTOR  L.  BROWN 


81 


President  Hugh  B.  Brown: 

Bishop  Robert  L.  Simpson  of  the 
Presiding  Bishopric  has  just  spoken  to 
us.     Our  next  speaker  will  be  Bishop 


Victor  L.  Brown,  Second  Counselor  in 
the  Presiding  Bishopric  of  the  Church, 
he  will  be  followed  by  Bishop  Vanden- 
berg. 


BISHOP  VICTOR  L.  BROWN 

Second  Counselor  in  the  Presiding  Bishopric 


My  dear  brethren,  I  deem  it  a  great 
honor  to  be  invited  by  President  McKay 
to  speak  to  the  body  of  the  priesthood 
in  this,  the  most  widely  attended  priest- 
hood meeting  in  the  history  of  the 
Church.  I  feel  the  weight  of  such  an 
assignment  and  solicit  an  interest  in 
your  faith  and  prayers  that  our  Heav- 
enly Father  may  bless  us  at  this  hour. 

It  is  unlikely  that  there  has  ever  been 
such  a  large  gathering  of  holders  of  the 
Aaronic  Priesthood  in  the  history  of  the 
world,  at  least  in  this  dispensation.  And 
it  is  to  you  young  men  that  I  would  like 
to  address  my  remarks  tonight.  Each 
one  of  you  who  holds  the  Aaronic 
Priesthood  has  been  given  one  of  the 
greatest  blessings  that  can  come  to  man- 
kind. It  is  so  great  that  it  has  been 
bestowed  on  only  a  handful  of  men  in 
the  history  of  the  world.  You  are  mem- 
bers of  that  very  small  but  select  group 
who  have  been  granted  the  privilege 
of  acting  with  authority  in  the  name  of 
God.  He  has  such  confidence  and 
trust  in  you  that  he  has,  through  his 
servants,  granted  you  permission  to  use 
his  name.  Now,  I  ask  you,  who  in  the 
entire  world  do  you  have  such  trust  in 
that  you  would  be  willing  to  let  them 
use  your  name  almost  at  will?  This, 
then,  is  an  honor  of  the  greatest  magni- 
tude, this  priesthood  which  has  been 
bestowed  upon  each  of  you  young  men. 

It  is  an  established  principle  that 
with  the  acceptance  of  a  great  honor, 
one  also  accepts  the  responsibility  that 
goes  with  it.  Daniel  Webster  said,  "The 
most  important  thought  I  ever  had  was 
that  of  my  individual  responsibility  to 
God."  Lacordaire  said,  "Duty  is  the 
grandest  of  ideas  because  it  implies  the 
idea  of  God,  of  the  soul,  of  liberty,  of 
responsibility,  of  immortality." 

It  is  about  our  responsibility  and  duty 
to  God,  as  holders  of  the  Aaronic 
Priesthood,  that  I  wish  to  speak  this 
evening.     We  all  know  that  it  is  the 


duty  of  the  deacon,  among  other  things, 
to  pass  the  Sacrament  and  collect  fast 
offerings;  of  the  teacher  to  prepare  the 
Sacrament  and  to  assist  in  ward  teach- 
ing; and  of  the  priest,  to  administer  to 
the  Sacrament  and  to  perform  baptisms. 

As  important  as  these  duties  are,  it 
is  not  my  intention  to  elaborate  on 
them,  but  rather  to  discuss  the  personal 
and  intimate  responsibilities  which  each 
of  us  has  with  our  Heavenly  Father, 
the  responsibility  of  being  the  kind  of 
person  he  would  like  us  to  be.  Some- 
one has  said  that  character  is  what  you 
are  when  you  are  alone  with  yourself 
in  the  dark.  Emerson  said,  "It  is  easy 
to  live  after  the  world's  opinion.  It  is 
easy  in  solitude  to  live  after  our  own; 
but  the  great  man  is  he  who  in  the 
midst  of  the  crowd,  keeps  with  perfect 
sweetness  the  independence  of  solitude." 

There  are  many  influences  in  the 
world  today  which  are  undermining  the 
character  of  men.  It  often  seems  that 
it  is  the  smart  thing  to  get  as  much  as 
we  can  for  as  little  effort  as  possible. 
More  and  more  for  less  and  less  seems 
to  be  the  popular  chant.  There  is  a 
feeling  that  if  you  do  something  wrong 
and  get  away  with  it  and  do  not  get 
caught,  it  is  all  right. 

There  is  a  trend  in  some  areas  of  so- 
ciety today  toward  intellectual  dis- 
honesty. You  will  recall  newspaper 
accounts  of  the  expose  in  the  field  of 
higher  education  where  university  stu- 
dents paid  someone  else  to  take  their 
examinations  and  then  accepted  their 
diplomas  as  though  they  had  earned 
them.  You  will  remember  the  tele- 
vision quiz-show  scandals.  A  survey 
was  made  after  this  expose,  and  an 
alarming  number  of  those  asked  if  it 
were  wrong  to  mislead  the  public,  felt 
there  was  nothing  wrong  with  it  what- 
soever. In  some  areas  of  our  society, 
winning  for  winning's  sake  seems  a 
prime  factor.     These  are  but  a  few  of 


82 

Saturday,  April  7 

the  character- destroying  influences  in 
the  world  today. 

Now,  what  is  our  position  as  holders 
of  the  Aaronic  Priesthood?  Where  do 
we  stand  on  these  and  other  moral 
issues?  Are  we  men  of  honor?  If  so, 
what  kind  of  young  men  are  we,  really? 
Let  me  outline  for  you  some  of  the 
traits  of  character  which  are  basic  if 
we  are  to  justify  the  trust  the  Lord  has 
placed  in  us.  The  list  is  long,  but  here 
are  a  few: 

Truthfulness,  honesty,  integrity,  de- 
pendability, industry,  and  courtesy. 

Of  truthfulness,  Jacob  taught:  "Wo 
unto  the  liar,  for  he  shall  be  thrust 
down  to  hell."  (2  Nephi  9:34.)  Oliver 
Wendell  Holmes  had  this  to  say:  "Sin 
has  many  tools,  but  a  lie  is  the  handle 
which  fits  them  all."  In  the  Psalm  of 
David,  he  says:  "He  that  worketh  deceit 
shall  not  dwell  within  my  house:  he 
that  telleth  lies  shall  not  tarry  in  my 
sight."  (Psalm  101:7.)  In  Proverbs  we 
read:  "Lying  lips  are  an  abomination  to 
the  Lord:  but  they  that  deal  truly  are 
his  delight."   (Proverbs   12:22.) 

Truthfulness  is  in  very  deed  one  of 
the  foundation  stones  of  true  character. 
Without  it,  a  holder  of  the  priesthood 
not  only  breaks  his  trust  with  the  Lord, 
but  he  deceives  himself  and  his  fel- 
low men. 

Laveter  had  this  to  say  about  honesty: 
"He  who  purposely  cheats  his  friend 
would  cheat  his  God."  In  a  recent 
editorial  in  the  Church  Section  of  the 
Deseret  News-Salt  Lake  Telegram,  we 
read  the  following: 

"In  the  magnificent  prayer  of  the 
Savior,  as  recorded  in  the  Gospel  of 
John,  the  Lord  is  quoted  as  having  said 
to  His  Father:  'And  this  is  life  eternal, 
to  know  thee,  the  only  true  God,  and 
Jesus  Christ,  whom  thou  hast  sent.' 
[John  17:3.] 

"John  evidently  had  the  same  thing  in 
mind  when  he  wrote  in  his  first  gen- 
eral epistle:  'And  hereby  do  we  know 
that  we  know  him,  if  we  keep  his  com- 
mandments. He  that  saith,  I  know  him, 
and  keepeth  not  his  commandments,  is 
a  liar,  and  the  truth  is  not  in  him.' 
[1  John  2:3-4.] 

"If  the  achievement  of  life  eternal 
means  to  know  God,  and  if  to  know  him 
means  that  we  must  keep  his  command- 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Second  Day 

ments,  then  certainly  every  one  of  us 
must  be  honest,  true,  virtuous,  and 
chaste,  and  seek  after  every  good  thing. 

"The  wave  of  dishonesty  which  is 
sweeping  the  world  is  frightening  in- 
deed. How  can  the  world  be  saved 
in  dishonesty?  How  can  it  continue  to 
justify  itself  in  fraud  and  cheating  and 
lying?    And  yet  it  attempts  to  do  so. 

"The  air  lines  of  the  United  States 
recently  announced  that  they  must  dis- 
continue their  so-called  youth  fares  (re- 
duced particularly  for  those  of  high 
school  and  college  age)  because  of 
fraudulent  misuse  on  the  part  of  many 
young  people. 

"Shoplifting,  which  involves  women 
and  children  for  the  most  part,  now  runs 
into  more  than  thirty  million  dollars 
a  year. 

"Sixty-five  percent  of  the  students  in 
one  high  school  reported  that  they  cheat 
and  can  see  no  wrong  in  it. 

"Three  quarters  of  a  million  special 
officers  are  employed  in  the  United 
States  to  watch  employees  in  large  firms 
to  attempt  to  prevent  dishonest  practices. 
That  number  is  twice  as  many  as  all  the 
state  and  local  police  in  the  nation. 

"In  one  American  city,  police  arrested 
2,226  shoplifters  in  six  months  and  re- 
covered nearly  $70,000  worth  of  stolen 
merchandise.  Half  of  these  shoplifters 
were  children.  Most  of  the  others  were 
housewives." 

And  the  article  goes  on  to  say: 

"Dishonesty  is  one  of  the  signs  of  a 
great  let  down  in  the  moral  fibre  of  the 
nation.  It  is  also  a  sign — a  dreadful 
one — that  many  men  and  women  and 
boys  and  girls  no  longer  regard  their 
Christian  religion  as  a  way  of  life,  but 
rather  as  something  to  be  ignored,  or 
at  most  to  be  used  in  intellectual  exer- 
cise only. 

"Honesty  must  not  be  considered  as 
a  policy  only,  although  it  is  all  of  that. 
It  must  be  regarded  as  a  principle  of 
life,  part  and  parcel  of  the  daily  conduct 
of  each  individual. 

"If  we  are  to  consider  ourselves  as 
followers  of  the  Christ,  we  must  do  as 
the  Savior  says — keep  his  command- 
ments. 

"How  often  must  he  tell  us:  Thou 
shalt  not  lie? 


BISHOP  VICTOR  L.  BROWN 


83 


"How  frequently  must  he  say:  Thou 
shalt  not  steal? 

"Will  we  soon  forget  that  we  must  not 
bear  false  witness — in  anything?  Not  in 
making  a  sale,  nor  in  representing 
values,  nor  in  telling  the  ages  of  our 
children,  nor  in  using  other  people's 
property? 

"Without  honesty,  there  is  no  in- 
tegrity. 

"Without  integrity  there  is  no  char- 
acter. 

"Without  character  there  is  no  god- 
liness. 

"Without  godliness  there  is  no  salva- 
tion in  the  kingdom  of  God. 

"As  Latter-day  Saints,  we  live  in  the 
world,  but  as  was  the  case  with  the 
ancient  Saints,  we  need  not  be  of  the 
world,  nor  partake  of  the  sins  and 
blemishes  of  Babylon. 

"Zion  is  the  pure  in  heart.  If  we 
are  to  be  a  part  of  Zion,  then  let  us 
be  as  honest  and  true  as  God  expects  us 
to  be. 

"Hereby  do  we  know  that  we  know 
him:    if  we  keep  his  commandments." 

End  of  quote. 

Now,  I  ask  you  young  priesthood 
bearers:  Can  you  in  any  way  be  dis- 
honest without  breaking  this  great  trust 
the  Lord  has  placed  in  you?  The  answer 
is  obviously  no. 

Now,  as  to  integrity:  Integrity  is  that 
great  quality  of  the  soul  that  embodies 
both  honesty  and  truthfulness. 

Simon  said  this  of  integrity.  "Integrity 
is  the  first  step  to  true  greatness.  Men 
love  to  praise,  but  are  slow  to  practice 
it.  To  maintain  it  in  high  places  costs 
self-denial.  In  all  places  it  is  liable  to 
opposition,  but  its  end  is  glorious,  and 
the  universe  will  yet  do  it  homage." 

Add  to  truthfulness,  honesty  and  integ- 
rity— dependability — that  quality  where 
one's  word  is  as  good  as  his  bond. 
What  a  wonderful  thing  it  would  be 
for  every  young  man  to  say  to  his 
bishop  that  he  would  do  something  for 
him  and  then  do  it.  The  man  who  is 
not  dependable  is  of  little  worth,  no 
matter  what  his  talents  might  be. 

And  what  of  industry?  Cumberland 
has  said,  "It  is  better  to  wear  out  than 
rust  out."  And  we  gain  this  from 
Ruskin:  "Though  you  may  have  known 
clever  men  who  were  indolent,  you  never 


have  known  a  great  man  who  was  so." 
When  I  hear  a  young  man  spoken  of 
as  giving  promise  of  great  genius,  the 
first  question  I  ask  about  him  always  is: 
"Does  he  work?" 
Lucy  E.  Keller  tells  this  story: 
"  'Auntie,'  said  a  gentleman  who  had 
just  learned  that  the  youngest  son  of  his 
colored  cook,  had  been  appointed 
stenographer  to  a  large  manufacturer, 
'tell  me  how  you  have  brought  up  your 
children  so  that  each  one  of  them  has 
become  so  good  and  useful  a  man.'  'Oh, 
honey,'  was  the  reply,  'that's  nothing. 
I  hadn't  no  education,  and  I  could  only 
teach  them  three  things.  Just  three 
things  I  taught  them  was  their  prayers 
and  their  manners  and  to  work.' " 

Now,  at  last,  courtesy — that  quality 
of  character  which  speaks  of  refinement, 
of  thoughtfulness,  of  consideration,  of 
kindness  and  love,  the  little  things 
which  President  McKay  has  so  often 
reminded  us  of — "thank  you,"  "if  you 
please,"  "I  beg  your  pardon."  Courtesy, 
which  is  consideration  for  others,  is  a 
true  mark  of  a  gentleman. 

Now,  young  men  of  the  Aaronic 
Priesthood,  what  is  your  position  as 
holders  of  the  Aaronic  Priesthood?  Are 
you  men  of  honor?  Is  the  trust  the 
Lord  has  placed  in  you  justified?  These 
principles  we  have  discussed  are  just  a 
few  of  the  many  that  go  to  make  up 
the  foundation  of  character.  If  we 
truly  love  the  Lord,  we  will  make  them 
a  part  of  our  lives. 

I  want  to  bear  you  my  testimony  that 
the  President  of  all  the  priesthood  in 
the  world  is  a  prophet  of  the  Living 
God.  I  know  this  with  all  my  heart; 
my  Heavenly  Father  has  made  it  known 
to  me,  no  one  else.  I  am  so  grateful 
for  the  wonderful  blessing  that  has  come 
to  me  to  be  under  his  influence,  the 
greatest  blessing  that  has  come  in  my 
life.  His  life  embodies  all  of  these  vir- 
tues we  have  been  talking  about  and 
many  more.  He  is  the  most  wonderful 
man  in  this  world  today.  He  is  so  hu- 
man, so  kind,  so  thoughtful,  and  he  has 
such  a  wonderful  sense  of  humor.  I  am 
sure  he  will  forgive  me  if  I  just  tell  you 
one  short  story.  After  giving  a  report 
to  the  First  Presidency  on  a  rather  un- 
pleasant problem  we  were  experiencing, 
President  McKay's   response  was  this: 


84 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Saturday,  April  7 

"Well,  I  guess  a  dog's  got  to  have  a 
few  fleas  or  he  wouldn't  know  he  was 
a  dog." 

May  the  Lord  bless  you,  may  you  hon- 
or your  priesthood,  may  you  keep  your 
trust  with  your  Heavenly  Father,  I  pray 
in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ.   Amen. 


Second  Day 


President  Hugh  B.  Brown: 


We  have  just  listened  to  Bishop  Victor 
L.  Brown  of  the  Presiding  Bishopric.  We 
shall  be  glad  to  hear  from  the  Presiding 
Bishop  of  the  Church,  Bishop  John  H. 
Vandenberg. 


BISHOP  JOHN  H.  VANDENBERG 

Presiding  Bishop  of  the  Church 


My  dear  brethren,  it  is  an  honor  to 
meet  with  you  tonight  in  this  great  as- 
sembly of  the  priesthood  of  the  Church. 
I  am  very  grateful  for  my  two  great 
counselors  who  have  helped  me  so  much 
in  this  new  assignment  that  has  come 
to  me. 

Sometime  ago  a  letter  came  to  my 
desk  written  by  a  woman  investigator 
which  carried  with  it  a  great  deal  of 
enthusiasm  and  testimony,  and  I  would 
like  to  share  with  you  tonight  the  fol- 
lowing excerpts  from  this  letter.  Her 
salutation  was  this: 

"My  dearest  Father  Bishopric: 

"You  are  going  to  be  rather  surprised 
to  hear  from  me,  but  I  attended  Sunday 
services  of  The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ 
of  Latter-day  Saints  today  and  was  so 
inspired.  .  .  . 

"I  owe  my  gratitude  to  just  about  the 
finest,  well-cultured,  and  intellectual 
gentlemen.  .  .  .  They  graciously  in- 
vited themselves  into  my  home  and 
explained  the  Mormons.  ...  I  just  had 
to  go  to  Church  with  them  on  the  fol- 
lowing Sunday.  The  book  on  how 
Joseph  Smith  tells  his  own  story  was 
so  outstanding,  with  great  love  of  God 
for  each  and  every  human  being,  that 
my  knowledge  of  religion  certainly 
broadened  just  by  meeting  these  two 
elders.  .  .  . 

"On  entering  the  Church  I  was  so 
astonished  to  see  how  many  young  peo- 
ple of  today  are  attending  church,  and 
especially  thrilled  to  see  how  the  young 
mothers  bring  their  lovely  children.  .  .  . 
The  thing  that  touched  me  deeply  is 
how  the  elders  or  brothers  were  so 
anxious  just  to  be  able  to  say,  'How  do 
you  do.'  .  .  .  This  is  something  you 
don't  see  in  other  churches.  .  .  . 

"The   Aaronic   Priesthood    conducted 


the  Sacrament  .  .  .  which  was  so  pure 
with  delight  followed  by  the  separation 
to  classes.  At  this  time  the  elders  led 
me  to  the  adult  class.  .  .  .  Here  is  where 
I  accumulated  knowledge  in  one  half 
hour  that  I  did  not  know  in  a  lifetime 
of  fifty  years.  .  .  . 

"I  also  enjoyed  the  opening  prayer 
.  .  .  which  put  a  dent  in  my  mind  that 
these  are  a  group  of  people  that  have  to 
be  made  more  known  in  our  United 
States  of  America.  .  .  . 

"Again  I  say  how  happy  I  was  to 
attend  services  in  your  Mormon  Latter- 
day  Saint  Church,  and  how  mighty 
proud  the  mission  must  be  of  the  elders. 
They  are  an  inspiration  that  many 
mothers  and  fathers  today  can  learn 
the  message  from  God  to  his  children 
to  make  this  a  better  world  to  live  in 
like  God  intended  it  to  be." 

As  I  read  this  thrilling  letter,  I  thought 
what  a  great  blessing  to  the  elders' 
parents  and  to  those  missionaries,  al- 
though they  are  unaware  of  the  great 
spiritual  lift  that  they  gave  to 
this  woman.  As  the  woman  stated,  "I 
owe  my  gratitude  to  just  about  the 
finest,  well-cultured,  and  intellectual 
gentlemen."  I  wondered  what  greater 
honor  could  there  be  than  to  be  so 
highly  esteemed  by  one's  neighbors. 
No  doubt  this  experience  is  happen- 
ing time  and  time  again  the  world  over. 

Then  to  think  that  these  missionaries 
came  from  the  ranks  of  the  Aaronic 
Priesthood,  having  faithfully  served 
until  they  became  eligible  to  be  or- 
dained to  the  Melchizedek  Priesthood 
and  called  to  the  ministry  of  the  Savior. 
One  cannot  help  feeling  the  warmth  of 
the  Spirit  as  he  contemplates  the  great 
Aaronic  Priesthood  work  of  this  Church. 

Tonight  I  cannot  help  thinking  of 
more  than  237,000  living  men  and  boys 


BISHOP  JOHN  H.  VANDENBERG 


85 


who  have  the  privilege  of  bearing  the 
Aaronic  Priesthood.  Obviously  our 
thoughts  are  turned  toward  them  be- 
cause of  the  great  responsibility  that 
follows  the  offices  of  the  Presiding 
Bishopric  which  have  been  placed  upon 
us. 

This  great  body  of  Aaronic  Priesthood, 
under  and  over  twenty-one  years  of  age, 
becomes  our  charge,  and  we  feel  the 
impact  of  this  responsibility  very  keenly. 

While  my  counselors  were  talking 
about  the  more  than  100,000  young  men 
under  twenty-one  bearing  the  Aaronic 
Priesthood,  my  thoughts  turned  to  the 
more  than  100,000  over  twenty-one  who 
may  be  working  to  qualify  themselves 
to  receive  the  blessings  of  the  Mel- 
chizedek  Priesthood. 

I  have  been  thinking  of  their  wives, 
their  sons,  their  daughters,  and  their 
future.  We  realize  that  some  of  these 
mature  brethren  who  bear  the  Aaronic 
Priesthood  have  again  become  active, 
faithful,  and  devoted  members  of  the 
Church  in  order  to  achieve  their  goal. 
We  also  realize  that  many  are  recent 
converts  to  the  Church  who  are  working 
toward  their  ordination  to  the  Mel- 
chizedek  Priesthood.  These  brethren 
are  anxiously  waiting  for  the  day  when 
they  may  enter  a  temple  of  the  Lord 
to  receive  their  endowments  and  seal- 
ings  through  the  Holy  Melchizedek 
Priesthood.  We  pray  that  all  of  these 
may  continue  to  enjoy  the  warmth  of 
fellowship  in  the  priesthood  without 
any  interruption.  But  knowing  as  I  do 
that  there  are  some  who  are  dormant, 
I  must  confess  that  we  will  not  be 
contented  until  we  reason  with  them, 
until  we  hold  out  the  hand  of  fellow- 
ship, until  we  assure  them  that  the 
Lord  calls  to  them,  "Cast  away  from 
you  all  your  transgressions,  whereby  ye 
have  transgressed;  and  make  you  a  new 
heart  and  a  new  spirit:  for  why  will  ye 
die,  .  .  . 

"For  I  have  no  pleasure  in  the  death 
of  him  that  dieth,  saith  the  Lord  God: 
wherefore  turn  yourselves,  and  live  ye." 
(Ezekiel  18:31-32.) 

These  brethren  and  their  families 
are  precious  in  the  sight  of  God.  He 
loves  them,  and  we  love  them.  But 
their  lives  need  a  "new  heart  and  a  new 
spirit"  so  that  they  will  perpetuate  no 


regrets    of    the    lost    opportunities    of 
yesterday. 

While  Bishop  Simpson  and  Bishop 
Brown  were  speaking,  my  thoughts  also 
turned  to  the  special  invitation  extended 
by  the  First  Presidency  to  all  young 
men  who  bear  the  Aaronic  Priesthood 
to  attend  this  great  priesthood  meeting. 
We  feel  confident  that  if  our  eyes  could 
travel  over  the  closed  circuit  wires  and 
peer  into  the  multitude  of  gathering 
places,  our  hearts  would  swell  with  joy 
at  the  great  numbers  who  have  honored 
their  priesthood  by  responding  to  this 
call. 

As  we  speak  to  you  young  men,  we 
speak  also  to  your  leaders,  calling  to 
their  minds  the  challenging  responsibili- 
ties of  meeting  your  needs  for  spiritual 
growth  and  stability,  that  there  may  be 
no  structural  weaknesses  in  your  faith, 
your  integrity,  and  your  devotion. 

To  emphasize  the  responsibilities  of 
leadership  of  boys,  we  recall  the  words 
of  the  poetess  W.  A.  Dromgoole: 

Building  the  Bridge  for  Him 

"An  old  man,  traveling  a  lone  highway, 
Came  at  the  evening  cold  and  gray 
To  a  chasm  deep  and  wide. 

"The  old  man  crossed  in  the  twilight 

dim, 
For  the  sullen  stream  held  no  fears  for 

him. 
But  he  turned   when   he   reached   the 

other  side, 
And  builded  a  bridge  to  span  the  tide. 

"  'Old  man,'  cried  a  fellow  pilgrim  near, 
'You   are   wasting    your   strength   with 

building  here; 
Your  journey  will  end  with  the  ending 

day, 
And  you  never  again  will  pass  this  way. 

"  'You  have  crossed  the  chasm  deep  and 

wide. 
Why  build  you  a  bridge  at  eventide?' 
And   the   builder   raised   his   old   gray 

head: 
'Good  friend,  on  the  path  I  have  come,' 

he  said, 
'There  followeth  after  me  today 
A  youth  whose  feet  will  pass  this  way. 
'  'This    stream,    which    has    been    as 

naught  to  me, 


86 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Saturday,  April  7 

To  that  fair-haired  boy  may  a  pitfall 

be; 
He,  too,  must  cross  in  the  twilight  dim — 
Good  friend,  I  am  building  this  bridge 

for  him.' " 

Leaders  give  heed  to  the  words  of 
Paul  to  the  Corinthians:  "For  if  the 
trumpet  give  an  uncertain  sound,  who 
shall  prepare  himself  to  the  battle?" 
(1  Corinthians  14:8.) 

You  are  the  trumpeters  to  the  youth 
who  are  listening  for  certain  sounds — 
positive,  unwavering  teachings,  exam- 
ples— a  steady  beam  to  guide  them  in 
preparation  for  a  useful  life  of  service 
in  the  dignity  of  the  priesthood.  If  we, 
the  trumpeters,  do  not  guard  our  actions, 
our  language — do  not  set  worthy  exam- 
ples— how  then  can  we  expect  our 
young  men  to  prepare  themselves  "to 
the  battle,"  battle  against  wrongdoing — 
the  battle  they  fight  every  day  of  their 
lives? 

Now,  young  men,  may  we  say  to 
you,  responsibility  is  a  two-way  street. 
One  cannot  give  unless  there  is  some- 
one to  receive.  Your  stake  president, 
stake  committee,  bishoprics,  general  sec- 
retaries, quorum  advisers,  and  auxiliary 
leaders  are  spending  more  time,  giving 
more  thought  and  prayer  to  your  cause 
than  ever  before.  They  are  the  ones 
who  give,  and  you  are  the  ones  who 
receive.  We  urge  you  to  receive  well, 
to  qualify  for  the  tasks  to  come.  You 
cannot  expect  success  without  prepa- 
ration. 

James  A.  Garfield  said:  "Young  men 
talk  of  trusting  to  the  spur  of  the  occa- 
sion. They  trust  in  vain.  Occasion 
cannot  make  spurs.  If  you  expect  to 
wear  spurs  you  must  win  them.  If  you 
wish  to  use  them  you  must  buckle  them 
to  your  own  heels  before  you  go  into 
the  fight." 

We  think  you  should  know  that  once 
each  week  it  is  our  privilege  as  the 
Presiding  Bishopric  to  receive  counsel 
from  the  First  Presidency  on  all  matters 
pertaining  to  the  Aaronic  Priesthood 
work  of  the  Church.  Through  this  asso- 
ciation and  direction,  the  blessings  of 
the  Aaronic  Priesthood  program  flow 
out  to  the  whole  Church.  Also  you 
should  know  that  on  frequent  occasions, 
the  Presiding  Bishopric  meet  with  the 
general    priesthood    committee    of    the 


Second  Day 

Church  to  co-ordinate  all  our  efforts  in 
your  behalf. 

As  I  observe  the  prophets,  seers,  and 
revel ators  of  the  Church  in  council 
meetings,  I  think  of  the  words  which 
Joseph  J.  Daynes  set  to  music: 

"Come,  listen  to  a  prophet's  voice, 
And  hear  the  word  of  God, 

"And  in  the  way  of  truth  rejoice, 
And  sing  for  joy  aloud. 

"We've  found  the  way  the  prophets  went 
Who  lived  in  days  of  yore; 

"Another  prophet  now  is  sent 
This  knowledge  to  restore." 

The  inspiration  and  revelation  of  God 
come  through  his  prophets  to  direct  the 
destiny  of  this  Church.  You  young  men 
belong  to  that  Church — the  greatest 
organization  for  good  in  all  the  world. 
Membership  carries  with  it  great  re- 
sponsibilities, but  not  greater  than  you 
can  carry  on  your  young,  strong  shoul- 
ders. You  are  young,  but,  as  bearers 
of  the  Aaronic  Priesthood,  you  are 
expected  to: 

1.  Discipline  yourselves  to  do  that 
which  is  right. 

2.  To  be  close  to  your  father  and 
mother  and  give  heed  to  their  counsel. 

3.  To  pray  to  God  and  to  give  thanks 
to  him  for  his  blessings. 

4.  To  sustain  the  ward,  stake,  and 
General  Authorities — attesting  thereto 
by  your  actions. 

5.  To  cultivate  a  pure  heart  and  a 
clean  mind. 

6.  To  fill  every  assignment  willingly. 

7.  To  refuse  to  participate  in  any 
action  or  conversation  which  would  of- 
fend the  dignity  of  the  priesthood  you 
bear. 

8.  To  attend  all  your  meetings  and 
put  into  practice  the  lessons  you  learn 
at  those  meetings. 

Now,  to  the  fathers,  we  solicit  and 
encourage  your  full  co-operation.  It  is 
so  much  easier  to  help  your  sons  reach 
the  goal  when  we  and  they  know  of 
your  full  support.  The  place  of  the 
father  in  the  home,  and  his  responsi- 
bilities to  his  family,  are  clearly  defined 
in  the  words  of  President  Lorenzo  Snow, 
and  I  quote:  ".  .  .  if  you  ever  secure  a 
union  in  any  family  in  Zion,  if  you  ever 
secure  that   heavenly  union  which   is 


PRESIDENT  HUGH  B.  BROWN 


87 


necessary  to  exist  there,  you  have  got  to 
bind  that  family  together  in  one,  and 
there  has  got  to  be  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord 
in  the  head  of  that  family,  and  he 
should  possess  that  light  and  that  in- 
telligence, which,  if  carried  out  in  the 
daily  life  and  conduct  of  those  indi- 
viduals, will  prove  the  salvation  of  that 
family,  for  he  holds  their  salvation  in 
his  hands."  QD  4:243.) 

Now,  we  should  all  ever  keep  before 
us  that  sacred  moment  in  Nephite  his- 
tory when  Jesus  was  giving  his  last 
instructions  to  the  twelve  disciples: 
".  .  .  Therefore,  what  manner  of  men 
ought  ye  to  be?  Verily  I  say  unto  you, 
even  as  I  am."  (3  Nephi  27:27.) 

I  bear  testimony  to  the  truthfulness 
of  this  great  work,  and  I  pray  our  Heav- 
enly Father  to  bless  the  great  priesthood 


of  this  Church,  and  I  do  it  in  the  name 
of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.    Amen. 

President  Hugh  B.  Brown: 

We  have  just  listened  to  the  Presiding 
Bishop  of  the  Church — Bishop  John  H. 
Vandenberg.  Brother  Richard  P.  Condie 
will  now  lead  the  congregation  and  the 
Chorus  in  singing,  "Do  What  Is  Right," 
after  which  President  McKay  has  asked 
that  Elder  Hugh  B.  Brown  be  the  next 
speaker. 


The  Congregation  and  the  Men's 
Chorus  of  the  Choir  joined  in  singing 
the  hymn,  "Do  What  Is  Right,"  Elder 
Richard  P.  Condie  conducting. 


PRESIDENT  HUGH  B.  BROWN 

Second  Counselor  in  the  First  Presidency 


My  dear  brethren,  always  when  charged 
with  the  responsibility  of  appearing  be- 
fore the  people  of  the  Church  and 
especially  before  the  priesthood,  I  am 
conscious  of  my  inadequacy,  and  ever 
desirous  of  securing  the  guidance  of  my 
Heavenly  Father  as  I  attempt  to  serve. 

Because  of  the  things  that  have  hap- 
pened to  me  in  recent  months,  I  have 
been  searching  my  heart  in  an  attempt 
to  find  justification  for  the  Lord's  good- 
ness to  me.  Certainly  we  are  all  blessed 
beyond  our  merits,  which  fact  should 
keep  us  humble  and  grateful. 

I  recommend  to  all,  not  only  the 
young  men  holding  the  Aaronic  Priest- 
hood, but  to  those  holding  the  Mel- 
chizedek  Priesthood,  that  when  the 
excellent  talks  given  tonight  by  the 
Presiding  Bishopric  are  published,  they 
read  and  apply  their  timely  instructions. 
I  certainly  congratulate  the  Bishopric  on 
their  thorough  preparation  and  the  in- 
spiration of  their  addresses.  They  have 
spoken  directly,  of  course,  to  the  Lesser 
Priesthood,  because  that  is  their  special 
charge. 

You  men,  most  of  you  here,  and  many 
listening  in,  know  that  the  man  who 
stands  at  the  head  of  the  Melchizedek 
Priesthood — in  fact  of  all  the  Priesthood 
of  the  Church — is  the  President  of  the 
Church.    He  presides  here  tonight,  and 


I  conduct  under  his  direction.  He  is 
an  ideal  model,  an  exemplar  to  all  of 
us.  He  often  quotes,  and  in  his  life 
exemplifies,  the  admonition  of  Isaiah: 

".  .  .  be  ye  clean,  that  bear  the  vessels 
of  the  Lord."  (Isaiah  52:11.) 

I  shall  not  detain  you  long  because 
I  know  from  whom  you  wish  to  hear.  I 
should  like,  however,  to  make  a  few 
observations  on  the  responsibility  of  all 
whom  God  has  honored  by  permitting 
them  to  act  for  him.  There  is  need  for 
courage  and  constancy  in  the  midst  of 
perilous  and  ominous  world  conditions. 
As  I  read  of  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith 
in  Liberty  Jail,  I  am  inspired  by  the 
courage  and  faith  which  enabled  him  to 
carry  on  in  spite  of  persistent  and  bitter 
persecution  throughout  his  lifetime. 
When  in  Liberty  Jail,  where  he  spent 
many  months  in  1838-39,  he  felt  that 
he  had  suffered  about  all  that  mortal 
man  could  endure.  In  an  inspired  ap- 
peal he  prayed: 

"O  God,  where  art  thou?  And  where 
is  the  pavilion  that  covereth  thy  hiding 
place? 

"How  long  shall  thy  hand  be  stayed, 
and  thine  eye,  yea  thy  pure  eye,  behold 
from  the  eternal  heavens  the  wrongs  of 
thy  people  and  of  thy  servants,  and  thine 
ear  be  penetrated  with  their  cries? 

"Yea,  O  Lord,  how  long  shall  they 


88 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Saturday,  April  7 

suffer  these  wrongs  and  unlawful  op- 
pressions, before  thine  heart  shall  be 
softened  toward  them,  and  thy  bowels 
be  moved  with  compassion  toward 
them?"  (D&C  121:1-3.) 

And  the  Lord  answered,  with  the 
understanding  born  of  experience: 

"My  son,  peace  be  unto  thy  soul; 
thine  adversity  and  thine  afflictions 
shall  be  but  a  small  moment; 

"And  then,  if  thou  endure  it  well,  God 
shall  exalt  thee  on  high;  thou  shalt 
triumph  over  all  thy  foes."  (Ibid., 
121:7-8.) 

In  the  121st  section  of  the  Doctrine 
and  Covenants  we  have  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  of  all  revelations: 

"Behold,  there  are  many  called,  but 
few  are  chosen.  And  why  are  they  not 
chosen? 

"Because  their  hearts  are  set  so  much 
upon  the  things  of  this  world,  and  aspire 
to  the  honors  of  men,  that  they  do  not 
learn  this  one  lesson — 

"That  the  rights  of  the  priesthood  are 
inseparably  connected  with  the  powers 
of  heaven,  and  that  the  powers  of 
heaven  cannot  be  controlled  nor  handled 
only  upon  the  principles  of  right- 
eousness. 

"That  they  may  be  conferred  upon  us, 
it  is  true;  but  when  we  undertake  to 
cover  our  sins,  or  to  gratify  our  pride, 
our  vain  ambition,  or  to  exercise  control 
or  dominion  or  compulsion  upon  the 
souls  of  the  children  of  men,  in  any 
degree  of  unrighteousness,  behold,  the 
heavens  withdraw  themselves;  the  Spirit 
of  the  Lord  is  grieved;  and  when  it  is 
withdrawn,  Amen  to  the  priesthood  or 
the  authority  of  that  man."  (Ibid., 
121:34-37.) 

Brethren  of  the  priesthood,  let  us 
never  exercise  unrighteous  dominion.  Let 
us  honor  the  priesthood  in  our  own 
homes,  in  our  attitudes  toward  our  wives 
and  children,  for  there  as  elsewhere 
"when  [the  Spirit]  is  withdrawn,  Amen 
to  the  priesthood  or  the  authority  of 
that  man."  The  Spirit  will  not  always 
strive  with  man,  but  we  should  always 
strive  to  retain  his  Spirit  in  our  homes, 
in  our  businesses,  in  all  that  we  under- 
take to  do. 

We  must  cleanse  and  purify  our 
bodies  and  souls,  and  try  to  be  worthy 


Second  Day 

to  be  called  the  sons  of  God  and  to  hold 
the  Holy  Priesthood.    I  read  on: 

"No  power  or  influence  can  or  ought 
to  be  maintained  by  virtue  of  the  priest- 
hood, only  by  persuasion,  by  long- 
suffering,  by  gentleness  and  meekness, 
and  by  iove  unfeigned; 

"By  kindness,  and  pure  knowledge, 
which  shall  greatly  enlarge  the  soul 
without  hypocrisy,  and  without  guile — " 
(Ibid.,  121:41-42.) 

"Let  thy  bowels  also  be  full  of  char- 
ity towards  all  men,  and  to  the  house- 
hold of  faith,  and  let  virtue  garnish  thy 
thoughts  unceasingly;  then  shall  thy 
confidence  wax  strong  in  the  presence 
of  God;  and  the  doctrine  of  the  priest- 
hood shall  distil  upon  thy  soul  as  the 
dews  from  heaven. 

"The  Holy  Ghost  shall  be  thy  con- 
stant companion,  and  thy  scepter  an 
unchanging  scepter  of  righteousness  and 
truth;  and  thy  dominion  shall  be  an 
everlasting  dominion,  and  without  com- 
pulsory means  it  shall  flow  unto  thee 
forever  and  ever."  (Ibid.,  121:45-46.) 

I  never  tire  of  reading  or  hearing  this 
scripture,  for  it  is  the  direct  word  of  the 
Lord  to  the  men  who  hold  the  priest- 
hood, telling  us  how  to  honor  it,  how 
to  officiate  under  it,  warning  all  against 
unrighteous  dominion.  I  should  like 
to  say  to  you  fathers  tonight  that  our 
conduct  in  our  homes  determines  in 
large  measure  our  worthiness  to  hold 
and  exercise  the  priesthood,  which  is  the 
power  of  God  delegated  to  man.  Almost 
any  man  can  make  a  good  showing 
when  on  parade  before  the  public,  but 
one's  integrity  is  tested  when  "off  duty." 
The  real  man  is  seen  and  known  in  the 
comparative  solitude  of  the  home.  An 
office  or  title  will  not  erase  a  fault  nor 
guarantee  a  virtue. 

"True  worth  is  in  being,  not  seeming, 
In  doing  each  day  that  goes  by, 
Some  little  good,  not  in  the  dreaming, 
Of  great  things  to  do  bye  and  bye. 

"Whatever  men  say  in  their  blindness, 
And  in  spite  of  the  fancies  of  youth, 
There's  nothing  so  Kingly  as  kindness, 
And  nothing  so  Royal  as  truth." 

Let  us  never,  in  the  words  of  the  37th 
verse  of  this  section  of  the  Doctrine  and 
Covenants  ".  .  .  undertake  to  cover  our 


PRESIDENT  HUGH  B.  BROWN 


89 


sins,  or  to  gratify  our  pride,  our  vain 
ambition,  or  to  exercise  control  or 
dominion  or  compulsion  upon  the  souls 
of  the  children  of  men,  in  any  degree  of 
unrighteousness,  .  .  ."  (Ibid.,  121:37.) 

The  late  President  Joseph  F.  Smith 
wrote,  "There  is  no  office  growing  out 
of  this  Priesthood  that  is  or  can  be 
greater  than  the  Priesthood  itself.  It  is 
from  the  Priesthood  that  the  office  de- 
rives its  authority  and  power.  No  office 
gives  authority  to  the  Priesthood.  No 
office  adds  to  the  power  of  the  Priest- 
hood, but  all  offices  in  the  Church 
derive  their  power,  their  virtue,  their 
authority,  from  the  Priesthood.  The 
President  of  the  Church  carries  on  as 
President  by  virtue  of  his  Priesthood." 

And  now  to  you  brethren  who  pre- 
side in  the  Church,  I  should  like  to  say 
a  word — presidents  of  stakes,  presidents 
of  missions,  bishops  of  wards,  all  who 
preside  in  any  capacity — we  urge  you 
to  recognize  and  use  your  counselors. 
You  will  notice  through  all  the  organ- 
ization of  the  Church  our  Father  in 
heaven  has  provided  that  each  presiding 
officer  shall  have  two  counselors.  We 
regret  that  occasionally  we  hear  of  a 
stake  president,  a  mission  president, 
a  bishop  or  some  presiding  officer,  who 
arrogates  to  himself  the  honors  which 
belong  to  the  office  he  holds,  who  pre- 
sides in  a  "one  man"  dictatorial  way, 
forgetting  his  counselors,  neglecting  to 
counsel  with  them,  and  thereby  assum- 
ing all  the  honors  of  the  presidency  or 
bishopric  and  taking  upon  himself  all 
the  responsibility  for  decisions  in  which 
his  counselors  should  share.  There  is 
wisdom  and  safety  in  counsel.  Honor 
those  with  whom  and  over  whom  you 
preside.  That  we  honor  the  priesthood 
and  the  offices  in  it  applies  not  only  to 
our  attitudes  toward  those  who  preside 
over  us,  but  also  toward  those  over 
whom  and  with  whom  we  preside.  Let 
us  preside  with  kindness,  consideration, 
and  love. 

Now,  brethren,  we  who  are  assembled 
tonight  here  and  in  320  other  places 
should  form  a  great  bulwark  against 
communism  and  its  attendant  evils. 
The  efficiency  of  our  opposition  to  them 
depends  upon  the  way  we  honor  our 
priesthood  and  place  ourselves  in  a  posi- 
tion to  seek  and  obtain  God's  help  in 
fighting   evil.     Communism   is   of   the 


devil.  Communism  started  when  the 
devil  was  cast  out  of  heaven  because  of 
his  rebelling  against  the  will  of  his 
Father  that  men  should  have  their  free 
agency.  Satan  and  his  emissaries  would 
rob  men  of  their  priceless  freedom.  We 
do  not  wish  tonight  to  enter  into  a 
long  discussion  of  this  evil,  but  it  is 
well  that  all  men  know  that  the  Church 
and  the  leaders  of  the  Church  stand 
squarely  against  communism. 

To  emphasize  this  I  refer  to  what 
President  Grant,  President  Clark,  and 
President  McKay  wrote  sometime  ago: 

"The  Church  does  not  interfere,  and 
has  no  intention  of  trying  to  interfere 
with  the  fullest  and  freest  exercise  of  the 
political  franchise  of  its  members,  under 
and  within  our  Constitution.  .  .  . 

"But  Communism  is  not  a  political 
party  nor  a  political  plan  under  the 
Constitution;  it  is  a  system  of  govern- 
ment that  is  the  opposite  of  our  Con- 
stitutional government,  and  it  would  be 
necessary  to  destroy  our  Government 
before  Communism  could  be  set  up  in 
the  United  States." 

I  wish  you  would  read  the  rest  of  it 
yourselves  and  see  what  the  stand  of  the 
First  Presidency  was  at  that  time,  and 
I  think  I  can  authoritatively  say  to  you 
that  the  position  of  the  First  Presidency 
has  not  changed  since  that  time. 

But,  brethren,  beware  that  you  do  not 
become  extremists  on  either  side.  The 
degree  of  a  man's  aversion  to  com- 
munism may  not  always  be  measured 
by  the  noise  he  makes  in  going  about 
and  calling  everyone  a  communist  who 
disagrees  with  his  personal  political 
bias.  There  is  no  excuse  for  members 
of  this  Church,  especially  men  who  hold 
the  priesthood,  to  be  opposing  one  an- 
other over  communism;  we  are  all  un- 
alterably opposed  to  it,  but  we  must  be 
united  in  our  fight  against  it.  Let  us 
not  undermine  our  government  or  accuse 
those  who  hold  office  of  being  soft  on 
communism.  Furthermore,  our  chapels 
and  meetinghouses  should  not  be  made 
available  to  men  who  seek  financial 
gain  or  political  advantage  by  destroying 
faith  in  our  elected  officials  under  the 
guise  of  fighting  communism.  Let  self- 
appointed  protectors  of  our  freedom 
finance  their  own  schemes.  We  call 
upon  the  priesthood  of  the  Church  to 
stand  together  with  a  solid  front  against 


90 

Saturday,  April  7 

everything  that  would  rob  men  of  their 
God-given  freedom. 

I  leave  again  my  testimony  with  you 
that  I  know  that  God  lives  and  that 
Jesus  is  the  Christ.  From  the  center  of 
my  heart  I  bear  witness  to  that  fact  and 
that  Joseph  the  Prophet  was  ordained 
and  set  apart  and  called  as  the  leader 
of  this  great  dispensation.  I  bear  wit- 
ness to  the  fact  that  our  beloved  Presi- 
dent today  holds  all  the  keys  and 
authority  given  to  Joseph  Smith  and 
that  he  is  the  mouthpiece  of  God  on 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Second  Day 

earth  today.  We  honor  and  sustain  him. 
God  help  you  brethren  and  all  of  us 
to  remain  true  to  the  end,  true  to  God, 
true  to  our  country  and  its  institutions, 
and  true  to  the  truth,  I  pray  in  the  name 
of  Jesus  Christ.    Amen. 

President  Hugh  B.  Brown: 

We  shall  now  be  very  glad  to  hear 
from  President  Henry  D.  Moyle,  First 
Counselor  in  the  First  Presidency  of  the 
Church. 


PRESIDENT  HENRY  D.  MOYLE 

First  Counselor  in  the  First  Presidency 


Brethren,  it  is  good  to  be  here.  When 
we  are  in  the  Church,  and  members  of 
it,  we  belong  to  the  body  of  Christ, 
and  there  is  no  need  for  us  to  go  outside 
of  it  for  anything  in  the  world.  I  think 
that  is  just  what  President  Brown  has 
said  in  more  forceful  language. 

"We  have  no  need  to  dabble  in  the 
things  of  the  world;  we  have  no  need 
to  join  other  organizations,  that  are 
antagonistic  to  or  out  of  harmony  with 
this  Church.  .  .  . 

"We  will  serve  the  Lord!  Let  the  dy- 
ing world  go  to  its  grave  if  it  will.  Let 
the  wicked  that  are  being  bound  in 
bundles  go  to  the  burning  if  they  will 
not  repent,  but  as  for  us,  we,  with  all 
we  are  and  with  all  we  have,  should 
be  in  this  Church  in  body  and  in  spirit, 
in  every  capacity,  and  there  should  be 
no  need  and  no  desire  on  our  part  to  go 
outside  of  the  strait  and  narrow  way, 
the  only  way  which  leads  to  the  pres- 
ence of  the  Eternal  Father  and  to  the 
gift  of  eternal  life.  .  .  . 

"We  have  no  need  of  anything  else. 
In  the  troubles  that  are  coming — for  the 
world  is  menaced  now  with  troubles  and 
strife  and  division  which  will  bring 
misery  and  sorrow  and  destruction  to 
many  souls — let  our  place  be  in  the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day 
Saints,  in  the  order  of  the  Holy  Priest- 
hood, and  we  have  no  need  to  join  other 
orders  to  take  away  part  of  our  time, 
part  of  our  influence,  and  part  of  our 
means  and  to  hinder  us  from  devoting 
ourselves  entirely  to  the  work  of  the 
Lord. .  .  . 


"Oh,  my  brethren  and  sisters,  why 
waste  your  time,  your  talents,  your 
means,  your  influence  in  following 
something  that  will  perish  and  pass 
away,  when  you  could  devote  yourselves 
to  a  thing  that  will  stand  forever?  For 
this  Church  and  kingdom,  to  which  you 
belong,  will  abide  and  continue  in  time, 
in  eternity,  while  endless  ages  roll  along, 
and  you  with  it  will  become  mightier 
and  more  powerful;  while  the  things 
of  this  world  will  pass  away  and  perish, 
and  will  not  abide  in  nor  after  the 
resurrection,  saith  the  Lord  our  God." 
(Pres.  Charles  W.  Penrose,  Conference 
Report,  June  1919,  pp.  36-37.) 

In  the  payment  of  our  tithes  and  our 
offerings  we  have  an  opportunity  to 
show  better  than  in  any  other  way  our 
devotion  to  God,  our  desire  to  help  in 
the  building  of  his  Church  and  king- 
dom here  upon  this  earth  and  to  thus 
testify  most  emphatically  to  the  truth. 
We  will  become  mightier  and  more 
powerful  in  our  own  right  in  direct 
proportion  to  the  service  and  contribu- 
tion we  make  to  strengthen  the  Church. 
I  further  bear  witness  to  the  fact  that 
we  consider  the  things  of  this  world  of 
no  lasting  concern,  for  we  know  that 
they  will  pass  away  and  perish,  and 
as  President  Penrose  says,  "will  not 
abide  in  nor  after  the  resurrection."  The 
Savior  said: 

"Lay  not  up  for  yourselves  treasures 
upon  earth,  where  moth  and  rust  doth 
corrupt,  and  where  thieves  break  through 
and  steal: 

"But  lay  up  for  yourselves  treasures 


PRESIDENT  HENRY  D.  MOYLE 


91 


in  heaven,  where  neither  moth  nor  rust 
doth  corrupt,  and  where  thieves  do  not 
break  through  nor  steal: 

"For  where  your  treasure  is,  there  will 
your  heart  be  also."  (Matthew  6:19-21.) 

In  the  record  we  have  of  Christ's 
Sermon  on  the  Mount,  we,  no  doubt, 
come  closer  to  finding  the  actual  teach- 
ings of  Christ  expressed  as  accurately,  if 
not  more  accurately,  than  in  any  other 
place  in  the  whole  Bible.  "For  where 
your  treasure  is,  there  will  your  heart 
be  also"  (ibid.,  6:21)  should  be  inscribed 
on  our  banner  as  we  march  forward  as 
an  army  to  call  the  world  to  repentance 
and  to  teach  them  faith  in  God  and  in 
his  son  Jesus  Christ  and  obedience  to 
the  principles  of  light  and  knowledge 
and  understanding  restored  to  the  earth 
through  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  in 
these  latter  days. 

The  Savior  said:  "Whosoever  there- 
fore shall  break  one  of  these  least  com- 
mandments, and  shall  teach  men  so, 
he  shall  be  called  the  least  in  the  king- 
dom of  heaven:  but  whosoever  shall  do 
and  teach  them,  the  same  shall  be  called 
great  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven." 
(Matthew  5:19.) 

".  .  .  Inasmuch  as  ye  shall  keep  my 
commandments,  ye  shall  prosper  in  the 
land.  And  again  it  is  said  that:  Inas- 
much as  ye  will  not  keep  my  command- 
ments ye  shall  be  cut  off  from  the  pres- 
ence of  the  Lord."  (See  Alma  9:13.) 

To  the  extent  that  it  is  my  prerogative 
so  to  do,  I  charge  all  who  hold  the  priest- 
hood in  the  Church  not  only  to  pay 
their  tithing  but  also  to  be  diligent  in 
preaching  the  law  of  tithing  to  the 
membership  of  the  Church.  We  cannot 
teach  effectively  that  which  we  do  not 
live,  or  putting  it  in  other  words,  our 
example  is  far  more  powerful  than  our 
precept. 

In  1961  there  were  added  to  the 
Church  88,802  converts  baptized  in  the 
stakes  and  foreign  missions.  This  un- 
precedented growth  demands  an  unprece- 
dented expenditure  in  the  year  1962.  We 
are  under  obligation  to  the  Lord  to  make 
the  full  program  of  the  Church  avail- 
able to  all  these  converts  as  near  as 
possible,  that  they  might  be  fully  fellow- 
shiped  in  the  Church.  How  could  the 
Lord  demonstrate  to  us  his  desire  to  have 
us  do  our  part  more  forcibly  or  more 


effectively  than  to  turn  the  hearts  of  the 
children  of  men  in  the  world  to  the 
eternal  truths  of  the  gospel  promulgated 
by  our  great  missionary  force  of  upwards 
of  11,000  missionaries,  scattered  in  sixty- 
four  missions  in  the  world? 

You  will  remember  two  years  ago  we 
suggested  at  our  Saturday  night  priest- 
hood meeting  that  we  might  well  double 
the  6,000  full-time  missionaries  whom 
we  then  had  in  the  mission  field.  We 
want  to  commend  you  brethren  on 
having  almost  fully  satisfied  this  re- 
quest. We  express  to  you  brethren 
throughout  the  Church  your  right  and 
prerogative  to  be  happy  as  we  are  happy, 
with  the  results  which  you  have  accom- 
plished in  your  wards  and  stakes  and 
missions  and  branches  throughout  the 
Church. 

There  is  a  definite  tendency  in  the 
Church  to  increase  the  tithes  as  mission- 
ary activity  is  increased.  These  are 
complementary  responsibilities.  It  is 
axiomatic  that  the  more  we  do  for  the 
Church  the  greater  is  our  desire  and 
our  capacity  and  capability. 

The  time  when  it  was  necessary  to 
explain  the  whys  and  wherefores  of 
tithing,  if  it  ever  existed,  is  long  since 
past.  There  is  planted  in  the  heart  of 
every  convert  to  the  Church  and  to 
everyone  born  in  the  Church  into  homes 
where  the  gospel  is  lived  and  taught,  a 
knowledge  of  the  place  that  the  payment 
of  tithes  should  take  in  our  lives. 

Let  us  go  forward  and  demonstrate 
to  the  Lord  our  ability  to  take  care  of 
as  many  converts  year  by  year  as  are 
touched  by  his  Spirit  and  thus  spiritually 
converted  to  the  truths  of  the  gospel. 

In  the  119th  section  of  the  Doctrine 
and  Covenants,  as  you  know,  the  Lord 
tells  us  that  the  purpose  of  tithing  is 
"For  the  building  of  mine  house,  and 
for  the  laying  of  the  foundation  of  Zion 
and  for  the  priesthood,  and  for  the  debts 
of  the  Presidency  of  my  Church." 
(D&C  119:2.) 

I  want  to  take  this  opportunity  of 
stating  to  the  priesthood  of  the  Church 
that  this  is  exactly  the  use  to  which  the 
entire  tithes  of  the  Church  are  put. 
There  is  no  tithepayer  upon  the  earth 
that  need  be  seriously  concerned  with 
what  happens  to  his  tithing.  The  tithes 
of  the  Church  are  distributed  for  the 


92 

Saturday,  April  7 

building  of  houses  of  worship,  for  the 
building  and  maintenance  of  temples, 
for  the  maintenance  of  missions,  wards, 
and  stakes,  genealogical  work,  schools, 
institutes  and  seminaries,  hospitals,  care 
of  the  needy,  the  expense  and  mainte- 
nance of  the  presiding  quorums  of  the 
priesthood,  the  housing  of  the  general 
boards  of  the  auxiliary  organizations, 
and  in  every  other  way  laying  the 
foundation  of  Zion.  Be  it  said  to  the 
credit  of  the  auxiliary  organizations 
they  pretty  well  take  care  of  all  of  their 
own  expenses.  Those  of  us  who  are 
charged  with  the  responsibility  of  dis- 
tributing the  tithes  and  income  of  the 
Church  pay  our  own  tithes  to  the  Lord 
in  full,  as  well  as  make  our  contribu- 
tions to  fast  offerings,  building  funds, 
and  support  missionary  work  and  the 
auxiliary  organizations,  etc.,  financially 
as  well  as  otherwise,  and  do  so  with 
continually  increased  enthusiasm  and 
satisfaction. 

We  know  that  there  are  some  errors 
and  some  mistakes.  Where  we  admin- 
ister the  Lord's  work  and  seek  to  bring 
about  his  purposes  on  the  earth,  I  can 
guarantee  to  the  membership  of  the 
Church,  that  there  is  never  a  conscious 
error  or  mistake  made.  I  cannot  con- 
ceive of  greater  security  than  to  have 
these  matters  pass  through  the  hands 
of  the  committee  on  the  disposition  of 
the  tithes,  consisting  of  the  First  Presi- 
dency, the  Quorum  of  the  Twelve,  and 
the  Presiding  Bishopric.  The  Lord  has 
conferred  upon  these  quorums  of  the 
priesthood,  the  Quorum  of  The  First 
Presidency,  the  Quorum  of  the  Twelve, 
and  the  Quorum  of  the  Presiding  Bish- 
opric to  distribute  the  tithes  and  income 
of  the  Church,  and  this  they  do  unani- 
mously, and  the  Lord  adds,  ".  .  .  and  by 
mine  own  voice.  .  .  ."  "Verily,  thus 
saith  the  Lord,  the  time  is  now  come, 
that  it  shall  be  disposed  of  by  a 
council,  composed  of  the  First  Presi- 
dency of  my  Church,  and  of  the  bishop 
and  his  council,  and  by  my  high  council; 
and  by  mine  own  voice  unto  them,  saith 
the  Lord.  Even  so.  Amen."  (D&C  120.) 

To  this  end  were  the  brethren  unani- 
mously sustained  by  the  general  con- 
ference yesterday  afternoon. 

Brother  Talmage  in  his  Articles  of 
Faith  wrote:    "It  is  evident,  that  while 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Second  Day 

no  specific  penalty  for  neglect  of  the 
law  of  tithing  is  recorded,  the  proper 
observance  of  the  requirement  was  re- 
garded as  a  sacred  duty.  In  the  course 
of  the  reformation  by  Hezekiah,  the 
people  manifested  their  repentance  by 
an  immediate  payment  of  tithes;  and  so 
liberally  did  they  give  that  a  great 
surplus  accumulated,  observing  which, 
Hezekiah  inquired  as  to  the  source  of 
such  plenty:  'And  Azariah  the  chief 
priest  of  the  house  of  Zadok  answered 
him,  and  said,  Since  the  people  began 
to  bring  the  offerings  into  the  house  of 
the  Lord,  we  have  had  enough  to  eat, 
and  have  left  plenty:  for  the  Lord  hath 
blessed  his  people;  and  that  which  is  left 
is  this  great  store.'  Nehemiah  took  care 
to  regulate  the  procedure  in  tithe-paying; 
and  both  Amos  and  Malachi  admon- 
ished the  people  because  of  their  neglect 
of  this  duty.  Through  the  prophet  last 
named,  the  Lord  charged  the  people 
with  having  robbed  him;  but  promised 
them  blessings  beyond  their  capacity 
to  receive  if  they  would  return  to  their 
allegiance:  'Will  a  man  rob  God?  Yet 
ye  have  robbed  me.  But  ye  say,  Where- 
in have  we  robbed  thee?  In  tithes  and 
offerings.  Ye  are  cursed  with  a  curse: 
for  ye  have  robbed  me,  even  this  whole 
nation.  Bring  ye  all  the  tithes  into  the 
storehouse,  that  there  may  be  meat  in 
mine  house,  and  prove  me  now  herewith, 
said  the  Lord  of  hosts,  if  I  will  not  open 
you  the  windows  of  heaven,  and  pour 
you  out  a  blessing,  that  there  shall  not 
be  room  enough  to  receive  it.  .  .  .' 

"In  the  present  dispensation  the  law 
of  tithing  has  been  given  a  place  of 
great  importance,  and  particular  bless- 
ings have  been  promised  for  its  faithful 
observance.  This  day  has  been  called 
by  the  Lord  a  day  of  sacrifice,  and  a 
day  for  the  tithing  of  my  people;  for 
he  that  is  tithed  shall  not  be  burned.  In 
a  revelation  given  through  the  Prophet 
Joseph  Smith,  July  8,  1838,  the  Lord 
has  explicitly  set  forth  His  requirement 
of  the  people  in  this  matter."  (Articles 
of  Faith,  chapter  24,  436-437.) 

Elder  Talmage  brings  to  our  attention 
that  once  upon  a  time  the  main  concern 
of  the  house  of  Israel  was  to  have  plenty 
in  store  to  eat.  It  is  stimulating  and 
inspiring  to  think  back  on  the  tre- 
mendous   change   in   the    lives   of   the 


PRESIDENT  DAVID  O.  McKAY 


93 


membership  of  the  Church  as  the  Lord 
has  blessed  us  and  raised  us  up  from  the 
former  days  of  dire  poverty  and  distress, 
when  every  service  the  Saints  rendered 
was  a  tremendous  sacrifice  compared 
with  the  prosperity  and  the  free  time 
we  now  enjoy  to  spend  as  we  see  fit. 
I  am  sure  it  can  be  truthfully  said  that 
it  entails  no  serious  case  of  sacrifice  for 
us  to  do  and  accomplish  all  that  the 
Lord  would  have  us  do  today. 

We  all  know  that  the  Lord  has  in 
very  deed  "opened  up  the  windows  of 
heaven  and  poured  out  a  blessing  that 
there  shall  not  be  room  enough  to  re- 
ceive everything  the  Lord  would  have 
it  do."  (See  Malachi  3:10.)  The  priest- 
hood of  the  Church  must  do  its  part  so 
that  even  in  the  days  of  prosperity  we 
may  humble  ourselves  in  our  service 
to  the  Lord  and  our  fellow  men.  This 
is  the  only  insurance  we  have  against 
permitting  our  riches  to  canker  our  souls, 
and  to  have  it  said  of  us,  "The  harvest 
is  past,  the  summer  is  ended,  and  my 
soul  is  not  saved!"  (D&C  56:16.) 

I  commend  to  the  priesthood  of  the 
Church  the  reading  of  the  56th  and 
104th  sections  of  the  Doctrine  and 
Covenants.  Therein  we  find  the  great- 
est insurance  policy  known  to  man.  Our 
payment  of  the  premium  on  this  policy 
works  no  hardship  upon  any  of  us. 
With  its  payment  our  eternal  salvation 
and  exaltation  is  all  but  assured. 


For  fear  I  didn't  say  it  as  emphatically 
as  I  desired  to  in  the  beginning,  I  want 
to  say  that  every  day,  every  week,  every 
month,  every  year  increase  the  en- 
thusiasm of  these  brethren  who  are 
charged  with  the  responsibility  to  pay 
their  own  tithing,  and  constantly  to  in- 
crease their  contributions  to  the  Church 
because  of  the  consciousness  they  have 
of  the  direction  which  comes  from  God 
in  performing  this  most  sacred  trust. 

God  help  us,  my  brethren,  that  we 
might  go  forth  from  this  conference  to- 
night and  bring  into  the  storehouse  of 
the  Lord  the  means  by  which  this 
Church  can  grow  and  develop  and  serve 
all  of  the  righteous  people  of  the  world 
who  are  touched  by  the  Spirit  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  the  power  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  and  submit  themselves  to  bap- 
tism by  immersion  for  the  remission 
of  sins,  and  by  the  laying  upon  of 
hands  to  receive  the  Holy  Ghost,  I  pray 
in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ.    Amen. 

President  Hugh  B.  Brown: 

President  Henry  D.  Moyle  of  the  First 
Presidency  has  just  spoken  to  us.  And 
now  we  come  to-  the  moment  for  which 
we  have  all  been  waiting,  to  which  we 
have  all  looked  forward,  the  opportunity 
to  hear  again  from  our  beloved  Presi- 
dent, the  Presiding  High  Priest  of  the 
Church —  President  David  O.  McKay. 


PRESIDENT  DAVID  O.  MC  KAY 


My  beloved  brethren,  we  have  had  a 
glorious  hour.  The  message  of  the  Pre- 
siding Bishopric  to  the  young  people 
was  just  what  we  had  in  mind  when 
"Priesthood"  was  made  the  theme  of 
this  meeting.  We  have  all  been  in- 
spired by  the  remarks  of  those  who  have 
spoken  and  by  the  singing  of  these  men 
from  the  Tabernacle  Choir. 

When  President  Brown  referred  to  the 
121st  section  of  the  Doctrine  and  Cove- 
nants, I  think  he  omitted  purposely, 
because  of  time,  one  passage  which  I 
wish  to  repeat: 

"Reproving  betimes  with  sharpness, 
when  moved  upon  by  the  Holy 
Ghost;  .  .  ."  — that  limiting  clause  is 
very     significant — "Reproving     betimes 


with  sharpness,"  not  because  of  selfish- 
ness, not  because  of  any  personal 
antipathy,  not  because  of  personality, 
but  "when  moved  upon  by  the  Holy 
Ghost;  and  then  showing  forth  after- 
wards an  increase  of  love  toward  him 
whom  thou  hast  reproved,  lest  he  esteem 
thee  to  be  his  enemy;"  (D&C  121:43. 
Italics  added.)  You  may  search  through 
pedagogies,  theories  of  teachings  in  vain, 
and  find  no  passage  that  will  compare 
with  that  in  governing  people. 

What  I  am  now  going  to  say  to  stake 
presidents  and  bishops  is  more  of  a 
reminder  than  of  reproof. 

As  people  come  to  conference  some- 
times a  day  or  two  early  to  go  to  the 
temple  while  it  is  open,  not  a  few  bring 


94 

Saturday,  April  7 

incomplete  recommends.  Of  such  this 
year  there  has  been  an  unusually  large 
number.  Some  bishops  seem  to  be  getting 
careless  again.  The  recommends  are 
faulty  for  such  reasons  as:  (1)  no  indi- 
cation of  ordinances  for  which  they 
come;  (2)  bishops  have  not  indicated 
approval  with  their  initials  as  instructed; 

(3)  signature  of  stake  president  is  often 
omitted — holders  of  recommends  say 
they  did  not  know  the  stake  president's 
signature  must  be  on  the  recommend; 

(4)  no  recommends  for  children  of  age 
to  be  baptized,  for  sealing  to  parents — 
those  who  are  over  eight  should  come 
with  a  recommend,  and  because  they 
are  worthy  and  are  going  to  be  sealed 
you  let  them  come  without  a  recommend. 

Correction  of  faulty  recommends  is 
expensive.  Pressure  of  time  and  circum- 
stances are  embarrassing  to  the  people, 
and  sometimes  results  in  their  having 
to  be  disappointed  and  delayed. 

A  hint  to  the  wise  is  sufficient. 

In  conclusion,  let  me  say  that  just 
the  holding  of  the  priesthood  is  a  bless- 
ing, a  blessing  which  too  few  of  us  in 
our  Church  fully  realize,  and  in  order 
that  that  realization  might  become  more 
prized,  our  bishops  should  teach  the 
young  man  who  is  recommended  to  re- 
ceive the  Aaronic  Priesthood  what  the 
ordination  to  the  Aaronic  Priesthood 
means.  You  who  were  present  at  the 
inspirational  meeting  last  evening  in 
this  building  saw  on  the  screen  a  bishop 
interviewing  a  young  man  twelve  years 
of  age  in  the  presence  of  happy  par- 
ents. There  was  a  lesson  for  the  entire 
Church. 

It  is  not  sufficient  just  to  present  his 
name  for  approval  in  the  meeting  of 
the  ward.  He  should  be  interviewed  and 
taught  previously  from  the  beginning 
by  the  bishop.  I  shall  ever  cherish  in 
memory  our  appreciation  for  Bishop 
Edward  E.  Olson  of  Ogden  Fourth  Ward 
who  came  into  our  house  and  inter- 
viewed our  son  Llewelyn,  who  sits  in 
this  audience  tonight,  and  asked  him 
about  his  willingness  to  receive  the 
Priesthood  of  Aaron,  and  gave  him  in- 
structions accordingly. 

A  bishop  should  teach  the  young  man 
who  is  recommended  to  receive  the 
Aaronic  Priesthood  what  the  ordination 
to  the  priesthood  means,  not  just  pre- 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Second  Day 

sent  his  name,  I  repeat,  in  council  in 
the  ward — but  teach  him  that  when  he 
is  given  the  priesthood  he  is  expected 
to  be  above,  not  in  pride  and  haughti- 
ness, but  in  moral  standards  above  his 
fellows. 

Specifically,  his  playmates  may  swear, 
but  he  cannot  do  so  with  impunity. 
Some  may  even  take  the  name  of  God 
in  vain.  A  man  of  the  priesthood  cannot 
do  that  when  he  receives  the  obligation 
to  render  service  to  others,  as  a  repre- 
sentative of  Jesus  Christ.  He  who  takes 
the  name  of  God  in  vain  dishonors  his 
priesthood. 

Others  may  neglect  their  duties. 
Others  may  make  fun  of  their  teachers 
in  day  school.  Others  may  break  win- 
dows, but  the  bearer  of  the  priesthood 
cannot  do  those  things.  It  is  the  bish- 
op's duty  to  teach  them  good  citizenship 
and  their  duties  in  the  priesthood. 

Then  the  bishop  will  also  follow  simi- 
lar teachings  when  the  deacon  is  worthy 
to  be  ordained  a  teacher,  and  the  teacher 
to  be  ordained  a  priest.  With  such 
teaching  and  training  young  men  eigh- 
teen years  of  age,  and  young  women  of 
corresponding  age,  may  in  reality  carve 
the  moral  atmosphere  of  the  community 
in  which  they  live.  They  truly  have 
been  set  apart,  not  because  of  any  pride, 
not  because  of  any  desire  to  rule  un- 
righteously, but  because  of  moral  superi- 
ority. They  are  good  citizens,  and  any 
bishop  who  profanes  the  name  of  God 
in  the  presence  of  others  dishonors  his 
priesthood.  It  is  his  duty  to  teach  the 
young  man  from  the  time  he  is  a  dea- 
con, through  being  a  teacher  and  priest, 
the  responsibility  of  true  citizenship  in 
the  kingdom  of  God. 

We  are  justified  in  being  proud  of  our 
young  men  and  young  women.  Some 
fail  us,  yes.  Some  of  the  children  of 
our  Father  in  heaven  failed  him.  They 
had  a  right  to  choose.  They  had  their 
free  agency,  and  some  of  them  chose  to 
follow  the  fallen  one,  and  they  are  fol- 
lowing him  today.  We  also  have  our 
free  agency,  a  God-given  gift,  and  some 
choose  unwisely  to  follow  pleasure  and 
indulgence  rather  than  the  persistence 
and  effort  to  rise  above  that  which 
is  low  and  mean  into  the  realm  of 
spirituality. 

What  I   am  saying  is  that  to  hold 


PRESIDENT  HUGH  B.  BROWN 


95 


the  priesthood  is  an  individual  blessing, 
but  it  requires,  it  demands,  righteous 
living.  God  give  us  power  so  to  honor 
it,  I  pray  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ. 
Amen. 

President  Hugh  B.  Brown: 

You  will  be  interested  in  knowing  that 
the  general  sessions  tomorrow  morning 
— Sunday — will  be  broadcast  through  the 
generous  cooperation  of  owners  and 
managers  of  radio  and  television  sta- 
tions, over  50  television  stations  and  16 
radio  stations,  located  from  Coast  to 
Coast.  In  addition,  the  proceedings  of 
this  session  tomorrow  morning  will  be 
carried  by  short  wave  stations  to  Europe, 
Africa,  Mexico,  Central  America,  South 
America,  the  Caribbean  area,  and  the 
South  Pacific. 

It  is  estimated  that  the  potential  audi- 
ence in  the  United  States  and  Canada 
capable  of  hearing  and  viewing  some 
parts  of  the  Conference  will  exceed  60 
million  persons,  and  many  thousands 
more  in  foreign  countries  will  participate 
by  means  of  short  wave  broadcast  Thus 
the  sessions  of  this  Conference  will  be 
heard  and  seen  by  the  largest  number  of 
people  in  the  history  of  the  Church. 

The  Tabernacle  Choir  Broadcast  will 
be  from  9:35  to  10:00  a.m.  tomorrow. 
Those  desiring  to  attend  the  Tabernacle 
Choir  Broadcast  must  be  in  their  seats 
not  later  than  9:10  a.m.,  and  in  that 
connection  we  are  asked  to  announce 
that  all  who  wish  to  attend  the  morning 
session  of  the  General  Conference,  it  will 
be  necessary  for  them  too  to  be  in  their 


places  not  later  than  9:10  tomorrow 
morning,  as  there  will  be  no  time  be- 
tween the  close  of  the  Tabernacle  Choir 
Broadcast  and  the  opening  of  the  morn- 
ing session  of  the  Conference. 

There  will  be  large  crowds  attending 
the  services  on  Sunday,  and  the  President 
asks  that  you  be  considerate  and  courte- 
ous one  to  another  at  all  times.  Avoid 
pushing  and  crowding.  As  thousands 
leave  this  great  Priesthood  meeting  to- 
night, let  us  keep  in  mind  the  admoni- 
tion that  is  constantly  being  given  to 
drive  carefully.  Let  us  have  courtesy  in 
the  City  and  on  the  Highways. 

The  Men's  Chorus  of  the  Tabernacle 
Choir  will  now  sing,  "The  Lord  Bless 
You  and  Keep  You,"  and  again  we  com- 
mend these  brethren  for  the  excellence 
of  their  singing  tonight,  Brother  Condie 
and  others.  We  think  they  have  done  an 
outstanding  service  to  this  great  Priest- 
hood gathering. 

After  the  singing  by  the  Chorus,  the 
closing  prayer  will  be  offered  by  Elder 
David  Samuel  Brown,  president  of  the 
Juarez  Stake,  and  we  will  be  adjourned 
until  ten  o'clock  tomorrow  morning. 


The  closing  number  for  this  meeting, 
"The  Lord  Bless  You  And  Keep  You," 
was  sung  by  the  Men  of  the  Tabernacle 
Choir. 

Elder  David  Samuel  Brown,  president 
of  the  Juarez  Stake,  offered  the  bene- 
diction. 

Conference  adjourned  until  Sunday 
morning  at  10  o'clock. 


THIRD  DAY 
MORNING  MEETING 


Conference  reconvened  Sunday  morn- 
ing, April  8,  at  10:00  a.m. 

President  David  O.  McKay  presided 
and  conducted  the  services  of  this 
meeting. 

(The  Tabernacle  Choir  and  Organ 
broadcast  was  presented  in  the  Taber- 
nacle from  9:35  to  10:00  a.m.  See 
pages  127  to  128  for  a  full  report  of 
this  broadcast.) 

The   music   for   this   session   of   the 


Conference  was  furnished  by  the  Salt 
Lake  Tabernacle  Choir,  under  the  direc- 
tion of  Richard  P.  Condie.  Frank  W. 
Asper  was  at  the  organ  console. 

President  McKay  made  the  following 
introductory  remarks: 

President  David  O.  McKay: 

We  welcome  all  present  this  morning 
in  the  Tabernacle,  in  the  Assembly  Hall, 


96 

Sunday,  April  8 

and  Barratt  Hall;  also  the  vast  tele- 
vision and  radio  audience  in  this,  the 
sixth  session  of  the  132nd  Annual  Con- 
ference of  the  Church. 

The  Tabernacle  Choir,  under  the  di- 
rection of  Richard  P.  Condie,  with  Frank 
W.  Asper  at  the  organ,  will  open  these 
services  by  singing,  "The  Morning  Breaks, 
The  Shadows  Flee." 

The  invocation  will  be  offered  by 
Elder  O.  Leslie  Stone,  president  of  the 
Oakland-Berkeley  Stake. 


The  Tabernacle  Choir  sang:  "The 
Morning  Breaks,  The  Shadows  Flee." 

Elder  O.  Leslie  Stone,  president  of  the 
Oakland-Berkeley  Stake,  offered  the 
opening  prayer. 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Third   Day 


President  David  O.  McKay: 

President  O.  Leslie  Stone  of  the  Oak- 
land-Berkeley Stake  has  offered  the  in- 
vocation. You  will  be  pleased  to  know 
that  Elder  Stapley  and  Elder  Morris  are 
listening  in.  Elder  Stapley  is  sitting  up. 
We  send  him  our  love  and  blessings, 
and  Brother  Morris  also. 

The  Tabernacle  Choir  will  now  sing, 
"Galilean  Easter  Carol."  Following  the 
singing,  Elder  Richard  L.  Evans  of  the 
Council  of  the  Twelve  will  speak  to  us. 

The  Tabernacle  Choir  sang:  "Galilean 
Easter  Carol." 

President  David  O.  McKay: 

Elder  Richard  L.  Evans  of  the  Council 
of  the  Twelve  will  now  speak  to  us. 


ELDER  RICHARD  L.  EVANS 
Of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 


There  is  a  salutation  customary  among 
us  which  includes  all  within  sight  and 
sound — "My  brethren  and  sisters" — and 
I  see  no  reason  to  modify  it.  I  am 
grateful  for  the  relation  that  all  of  us 
bear  to  all  of  us  in  the  Fatherhood  of 
God  and  the  relationship  we  have  to 
him. 

Because  of  an  unusual  series  of  assign- 
ments, we  have  circled  the  world  twice 
this  past  year — once  flying  east,  and 
once  moving  westward.  We  have  been 
in  many  countries,  among  many  peo- 
ples, in  many  places.  We  have  en- 
compassed areas  where  hundreds  of 
different  dialects  and  languages  were 
spoken.  We  have  been  in  the  midst  of 
a  diversity  of  men,  and  in  the  midst  of 
many  differing  religions  and  philos- 
ophies of  life. 

We  count  among  our  friends,  men  of 
many  races,  many  faiths,  many  back- 
grounds, and  beliefs,  and  these  are  not 
superficial  friendships.  They  are  part 
of  our  lives.  We  respect  them  and  what 
they  are  and  have  an  affection  for  them. 
We  respect  them  and  their  beliefs,  and 
we  believe  they  respect  us   and   ours. 

As  a  consequence  of  this  long  journey- 
ing and  these  many  friendships,  we  have 
been  earnestly  reading  and  seeking  to 
understand  the  basic  beliefs,  the  many 
philosophies  of  India  and  of  Asia,  and 


in  doing  so  have  consulted  as  closely  as 
possible  the  people  themselves  and  their 
authentic  sources;  and  this  we  would 
ask  our  friends  to  do  for  us,  as  we  would 
do  it  unto  them  also.  When  they  want 
to  know  what  we  believe,  we  ask  them 
to  ask  us,  or  consult  our  authentic 
sources  instead  of  sources  of  intentional 
or  unintentional  distortion.  No  matter 
how  many  times  an  error  is  repeated,  it 
is  still  an  error.  We  believe  that  we 
ourselves  are  the  best  source  of  what  we 
believe,  as  are  other  men  of  what  they 
believe,  and  to  those  interested  we 
should  like  to  give  the  simple  facts. 

We  have  discovered,  we  think  also, 
that  mankind  generally  is  sincerely 
searching,  searching  for  the  reasons,  for 
the  purpose  of  being,  searching  for  the 
ultimate  answers.  "Man's  success  or 
failure,  happiness  or  misery,"  President 
McKay  has  said,  "depend  upon  what  he 
seeks  and  chooses."  What  people  be- 
lieve is  exceedingly  important  because 
what  they  believe  will  determine  how 
they  live.  A  person  prepares  differently 
for  a  short  journey  than  he  does  for 
a  long  one,  and  a  person  who  believes 
that  life  here  is  the  end  of  all  would 
prepare  much  differently  and  live  much 
differently  from  him  who  believes  that 
life  is  everlasting. 

Thomas  a  Kempis  said,  "Where  my 


ELDER  RICHARD  L.  EVANS 


97 


thoughts  are,  there  am  I,"  and  might 
have  added,  Where  my  beliefs  are, 
where  my  convictions  are,  there  am  I — 
or  at  least  in  that  direction  I  am  headed. 

For  these  reasons  and  because  we  love 
our  friends,  and  because  many  of  them 
have  asked  us,  and  because  even  if  they 
hadn't  we  would  want  to  do  it  anyway, 
we  would  like  to  say  some  few  things 
today  basic  to  our  beliefs: 

First  of  all,  in  common  with  many 
millions  of  men,  we  are  devoutly  Chris- 
tian. This  is  the  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  Jesus  the 
Christ,  with  the  doctrines,  the  com- 
mandments, the  revelation,  the  inspira- 
tion, the  authority  that  come  of  him  and 
through  him,  is  the  foundation  of  this 
Church.  He  is  the  chief  cornerstone, 
and  not  any  man. 

We  believe  what  Jesus  taught,  and  in 
this  we  rely  on  scripture,  including  the 
Bible,  which  we  believe  as  it  came  from 
the  mouths  of  the  prophets.  We  believe 
also  other  works,  given  to  other  peoples 
anciently  and  modernly,  in  addition  to 
that  word  given  to  ancient  Israel — 
works  which  are  consistent  with  and 
complementary  to  the  Bible.  In  addi- 
tion, we  believe  in  the  words  of  the 
living  prophets.  We  believe  in  continu- 
ous revelation,  for  we  feel  that  a  Loving 
Father  still  gives  divine  guidance,  and 
would  not  leave  his  sincerely  seek- 
ing children  alone  without  counsel  or 
direction — and  him  whose  countenance 
you  have  seen  this  morning  in  conduct- 
ing this  conference — President  David  O. 
McKay — we  accept  and  sustain  as  a 
prophet  of  God,  as  we  accept  Moses  and 
Abraham,  and  Peter  and  Paul,  and 
Isaiah  and  Elijah  or  any  such  others. 

It  does  not  seem  a  strange  thing  that 
God  would  speak  to  his  children  in  the 
present  as  well  as  he  would  speak  to 
them  in  the  past.  Certainly  we  do  not 
need  his  guidance  less  today.  What  lov- 
ing father  would  hold  himself  altogether 
aloof  from  his  sincerely  seeking  children? 

We  believe  in  the  literal  language  of 
scripture  concerning  the  Fatherhood  of 
God.  We  believe  the  language  of 
Genesis  which  says  that  God  made  man 
in  his  own  image.  (Genesis  1:27.)  We 
believe  that  God  is  an  infinite  intelli- 
gence with  an  infinite  love  for  us,  not 
indefinable,  but  a  Father  with  a  father's 


interest  in  us.  This  gives  us  a  peace 
and  purpose  in  life,  a  sense  of  belong- 
ing and  of  not  being  left  alone. 

We  believe  that  the  glory  of  God  is 
intelligence;  that  no  man  can  be  saved 
in  ignorance;  that  the  search  for  truth 
is  an  obligation,  as  is  education  also; 
and  that  there  must  be  freedom  for  the 
search. 

We  believe  in  the  commandments  of 
God;  in  causes  and  consequences;  in  the 
necessity  for  living  within  the  law;  and 
that  there  is  real  reason  for  every  com- 
mandment and  requirement. 

We  believe  that  the  human  body 
should  be  preserved  in  health;  that  it 
is  unwise  and  ungrateful  and  unjusti- 
fiably foolish  to  partake  of  things  that 
impair  the  fullest  well  being  of  the 
body  and  effective  physical  functioning. 
What  is  not  good  for  us  simply  should 
be  left  alone. 

We  believe  literally  in  everlasting 
life,  in  the  eternal  perpetuation  of  per- 
sonality; that  whatever  knowledge  a 
man  attains  to  in  this  life  will  rise  with 
him  in  the  resurrection;  and  we  believe 
in  a  literal  resurrection,  remembering 
the  words  of  Pascal,  who  asked,  "Which 
is  more  difficult?  To  be  born,  or  to 
rise  again?" 

Birth  is  a  great  miracle.  Life  is  a 
great  miracle,  and  he  who  gave  us  life 
here  will  give  us  life  everlasting.  This 
we  believe. 

We  believe  that  all  men  will  be 
resurrected;  that  all  men  in  this  sense 
will  receive  salvation,  but  that  in  the 
hereafter  there  are  different  degrees  of 
glory  (1  Corinthians  15:22-23,  40-42), 
entitlement  to  which  will  depend  upon 
the  life  we  have  lived,  and  by  the  liv- 
ing of  the  law  and  the  keeping  of  the 
commandments  we  shall  be  entitled  to 
return  to  live  with  our  Father  and  go 
back  to  him  where  once  we  were,  to  a 
place  of  peace  and  progress,  where  there 
will  be  everlasting  life,  with  family  and 
friends,  in  a  relationship  that  is 
everlasting. 

Thus  we  believe  in  marriage,  not  only 
for  time  but  also  for  eternity,  and  that 
we  have  an  inescapable  obligation  for 
the  children  God  has  given  us  to  teach, 
to  train,  and  to  set  before  them  a  right- 
eous example  of  the  living  of  life. 

We  believe  in  the  divinity  of  Jesus  the 


98 

Sunday,  April  S 

Christ.  We  believe  in  the  scripture 
which  says  that  he  was  in  the  express 
image  of  his  Father.  (Hebrews  1:3.)  We 
believe  that  he  was  born  of  a  virgin,  as 
the  scripture  says;  that  he  lived,  that  he 
preached,  that  he  ministered  among 
men,  that  he  was  put  to  death,  that 
he  rose  on  the  third  day,  that  he 
ascended  to  his  Father,  that  he  will 
come  again  on  earth  to  rule  and  reign. 

This  is  a  simple  belief.  It  is  a  pro- 
found one  also.  It  gives  peace  in  life. 
It  gives  a  sense  of  everlasting  purpose. 
It  gives  the  assurance  that  we  are  help- 
ing to  shape  our  own  future  with  our 
faith,  with  our  works,  with  our  learn- 
ing, with  our  lives.  It  gives  us  the 
assurance  that  life  is  purposeful,  mean- 
ingful, limitless,  everlasting;  that  the 
gospel  was  given  as  a  guide  to  help  us 
realize  our  highest  happiness;  that  all 
its  ordinances  are  essential;  that  author- 
ity to  administer  them  is  also;  and  that 
this  authority  was  again  restored  in  the 
nineteenth  century  through  Joseph 
Smith  the  Prophet,  as  the  heavens  were 
opened  and  the  personality  of  God  again 
revealed  as  the  Father,  pointing  to  his 
Beloved  Son  our  Savior,  said,  "This  is 
My  Beloved  Son.  Hear  him!" 

In  this  brief  time  there  is  much 
omitted,  but  this  in  essence  is  the  faith 
that  gives  us  peace  and  purpose  in  life 
and  freedom  from  many  of  its  fears. 
We  believe  there  are  clear-cut  answers 
to  life's  questions;  that  much  of  the 
groping  of  life  can  be  eliminated. 

In  Calcutta,  in  India,  we  read  in  the 
notebook  of  a  wonderful  grandmother 
an  inscription  which,  among  others, 
she  had  cherished  since  she  was  a  young 
girl — an  inscription  which  India's  great 
poet,  Rabindranath  Tagore,  had  written 
in  there  for  her  in  his  own  handwriting: 
"Surrender  your  pride  to  truth." 

These  lines  Tagore  also  wrote  on  free- 
dom— freedom  for  the  search  and  on 
the  importance  of  such  searching — (and 
we  have  altered  a  word  or  two  by  in- 
serting "me"  instead  of  "my  country" 
in  the  last  line) : 

"Where  the  mind  is  without  fear  and 
the  head  is  held  high; 

Where  knowledge  is  free; 

Where  the  world  has  not  been  broken 
up  into  fragments  by  narrow  domestic 
walls; 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Third    Day 

Where  words  come  out  from  the  depth 
of  truth; 

Where  tireless  striving  stretches  its 
arms  towards  perfection; 

Where  the  clear  stream  of  reason  has 
not  lost  its  way  into  the  dreary  desert 
sand  of  dead  habit; 

Where  the  mind  is  led  forward  by 
thee  into  ever-widening  thought  and 
action — 

Into  that  heaven  of  freedom,  my 
Father,  let  .  .  .  [me]  awake." 

An  eminent  analyst  has  said:  "I  have 
learned  in  forecasting  economic  futures 
that  what  is  going  to  happen  is  already 
happening."  It  is  so  in  our  lives.  It  is 
so  everlastingly,  and  all  of  us  ought  to 
determine  our  ultimate  objectives  as 
early  as  possible  and  then  faithfully  pur- 
sue them.  Life  is  not  limitless  here. 
Time  soon  passes.  Every  man  takes 
himself  and  what  he  is  with  him  wher- 
ever he  goes,  and  he  takes  himself  also 
into  eternity. 

What  do  we  have  to  lose  by  indiffer- 
ence, by  neglect?  In  words  already  cited 
this  morning  at  an  earlier  hour,  "we 
have  nothing  to  lose — except  every- 
thing," and,  conversely,  we  have  nothing 
to  gain — except  everything. 

In  the  words  of  Archibald  Rutledge: 
"I  am  absolutely  unshaken  in  my  faith 
that  God  created  us,  loves  us,  and  wants 
us  not  only  to  be  good,  but  to  be  happy." 
No  man  can  be  indifferent  to  the  issues 
of  life  and  death.  These  are  uppermost 
at  one  time  or  another  in  the  minds  of 
all  of  us. 

With  some  awareness  of  the  responsi- 
bility of  doing  so,  with  myself,  my 
family,  and  to  all  men,  I  would  bear 
witness  of  the  truth  of  these  things,  of 
the  everlasting  importance  of  them,  of 
the  obligation  that  all  of  us  have  to 
seek  and  to  search,  of  the  interest  that 
our  Loving  Father  who  made  us  in  his 
image  has  in  us,  and  of  the  incalculable 
importance  of  the  gospel  he  has  given 
us.  I  leave  with  you  my  witness,  in  the 
name  of  our  Lord  and  Savior,  who  died 
that  we  might  live,  even  Jesus  the 
Christ.    Amen. 

President  David  O.   McKay: 

You  have  recognized  the  voice  of 
Richard  Evans  who  has  just  spoken  to 


PRESIDENT  HENRY  D.  MOYLE 


99 


us.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Council  of 
Twelve  Apostles  of  The  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  Following  a 
brief  interlude  of  the  organ,  the  Taber- 
nacle Choir  will  sing,  "Behold,  God  the 
Lord  Passed  By." 


An  anthem,  "Behold,  God  The  Lord 
Passed  By,"  was  sung  by  the  Tabernacle 
Choir. 


President  David  O.  McKay: 

We  welcome  those  who  have  joined 
with  us  on  the  air  in  this  sixth  session 
of  the  132nd  Annual  Conference  of  the 
Church,  convened  in  the  Tabernacle  on 
Temple  Square  in  Salt  Lake  City.  We 
shall  now  hear  from  President  Henry 
D.  Moyle,  First  Counselor  in  the  First 
Presidency  of  the  Church. 


PRESIDENT  HENRY  D.  MOYLE 

First  Counselor  in  the  First  Presidency 


How  often  in  the  history  of  the  world 
has  a  people  been  brought  to  its  spirit- 
ual inheritance  through  the  endurance 
of  bitter  experiences?  Trial  accompanied 
the  move  of  Israel  out  of  Egypt  after 
four  hundred  years  of  bondage,  and  just 
as  surely  as  trial  accompanied  Israel,  it 
accompanied  our  forefathers  to  the  pas- 
tures of  these  mountain  valleys  where 
his  work  might  the  better  unfold  after 
seventeen  years  of  intense  persecution 
in  New  York,  Ohio,  Missouri,  and  Illi- 
nois, and  the  crossing  of  the  plains  to 
Utah. 

There  is  a  repetition  in  the  resto- 
ration of  the  Church  today  of  most 
all  that  has  gone  before.  Since  the 
restoration  of  the  gospel  in  1830,  God's 
dealings  with  his  children  here  upon 
the  earth  reflect  a  high  degree  of  uni- 
formity throughout  as  we  compare  the 
present  with  every  prior  generation  of 
the  gospel.  And  this  similarity  is  strik- 
ing in  two  major  aspects:  first,  perse- 
cution, and  second,  revelation.  His 
people  have  all  been  tried  in  adversity 
in  all  generations.  Persecution  has  con- 
tinued, and  why  should  not  revelation 
be  kept  equally  current? 

Can  we  say  with  the  existing  churches 
of  the  world,  the  heavens  are  closed,  there 
is  to  be  no  further  revelation  since  John 
completed  the  book  of  Revelation?  We 
know  and  bear  witness  to  the  world  that 
the  survival  of  our  faith  in  God  is 
dependent  upon  present-day  direction 
from  God.  How  impotent  is  man  when 
he  is  left  alone  with  only  the  revelations 
of  the  past?  Without  present-day  reve- 
lation the  very  foundations  upon  which 
this  last  Dispensation  of  the  Fulness  of 
Times  was  built  would  crumble.   There 


can  be  no  fulness  of  the  gospel  without 
revelation,  now  or  ever. 

Would  that  the  words  of  the  Savior 
to  Peter  and  his  other  apostles  were 
understood  by  the  world.  To  under- 
stand them  would  be  to  know  that  the 
true  knowledge  of  God  must  rest  upon 
current  revelation.  We  all  remember 
Peter's  answer  to  the  Savior's  question 
in  Matthew  16:  ".  .  .  But  whom  say  ye 
that  I  am? 

"And  Simon  Peter  answered  and  said, 
Thou  art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the 
living  God. 

"And  Jesus  answered  and  said  unto 
him,  Blessed  art  thou,  Simon  Barjona: 
for  flesh  and  blood  hath  not  revealed 
it  unto  thee,  but  my  Father  which  is 
in  heaven."    (Matt.  16:15-17.) 

Peter  was  divinely  appointed  to  re- 
ceive revelation  for  the  Church  as  long 
as  God  retained  him  head  of  the  Church. 
He  was  persecuted  until  he  became  a 
martyr.  Peter  was  followed  by  John  after 
Peter's  death.  Thereafter,  God  gave  his 
revelations  to  John  as  head  of  the 
Church.  The  last  book  of  the  New 
Testament  contains  the  revelations  given 
to  John.  John  was  banished  to  the  Isle 
of  Patmos  after  being  persecuted  before 
these  revelations  were  given. 

Paul  says  to  the  Ephesians,  recorded 
in  Ephesians  2,  that  the  Church  is 
"built  upon  the  foundation  of  the  apos- 
tles and  prophets,  Jesus  Christ  himself 
being  the  chief  corner  stone; 

"In  whom  all  the  building  fitly  framed 
together  groweth  unto  an  holy  temple 
in  the  Lord:"     (Eph.  2:20-21.) 

Jesus  Christ,  the  chief  cornerstone, 
asserts  his  leadership  and  directs  his 
Church  through  the  revelations  of  his 


100 

Sunday,  April  8 

holy  mind  and  will  to  his  servant  the 
prophet,  the  head  of  his  Church,  the 
presiding  high  priest  here  upon  this 
earth  today.  If  revelation  were  to  cease, 
why  should  not  the  death  of  Christ  have 
been  the  critical  turning  point  rather 
than  the  translation  of  John,  the  last  of 
the  apostles?  Why  was  it  necessary  to 
continue  revelation  to  the  apostles  after 
the  ascension  of  Christ? 

The  office  of  a  prophet  is  to  prophesy. 
How  can  a  prophet  truly  prophesy  with- 
out revelation?  Why  should  Paul  have 
emphasized  the  necessity  for  apostles 
and  prophets  in  the  Church  if  there 
were  to  be  no  further  prophecy?  These 
questions  leave  the  inquirer  in  a  quanda- 
ry if  he  at  the  same  time  denies  the  pos- 
sibility of  revelation.  When  revelation 
from  God  ceases,  apostasy  sets  in — man 
is  left  to  stand  alone.  The  surest  of  all 
declarations  of  apostasy  is  to  declare 
the  heavens  are  closed  and  revelation 
from  God  to  man  has  ceased.  We  pro- 
claim to  the  world  this  statement  is  a 
self-evident  truth. 

Is  today  and  its  problems  so  simple 
that  we  need  no  help  from  heaven?  We 
know  that  God  is  omnipotent.  Why 
should  he  close  the  heavens  for  us  for- 
ever after  the  translation  of  John  and  fail 
to  give  to  his  children  on  earth  the  bene- 
fit of  his  unlimited  power  contrary  to 
the  past  history  of  his  help  to  mortal 
man? 

History  repeats  itself.  I  quote  from 
an  author  discussing  Moses  and  his 
people: 

"There  has  never  been  another  na- 
tion in  human  history  with  which  one 
person  was  so  essentially  identified  and 
to  whom  its  institutions  could  be  so 
graced.  What  a  remarkable  place  then 
this  leader  and  lawgiver  holds  in  Bibli- 
cal history." 

Joseph  Smith's  position  is  entirely 
comparable  to  Moses'  in  the  founding 
of  the  Church  in  this  Dispensation  of 
the  Fulness  of  Times.  He  and  his  people 
suffered  persecution  in  many  instances 
as  severe  and  intense  as  that  suffered  by 
ancient  Israel  while  under  Egyptian  rule 
and  later  in  its  forty  years  of  wandering 
in  the  wilderness.  Joseph  Smith  suf- 
fered persecution  from  the  age  of  fifteen 
to  the  age  of  thirty-eight  when  he  was 
martyred.  He  sealed  his  testimony  with 
his  blood.  Sometimes  it  is  said  we  hear 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Third  Day 

too  much  about  Joseph  Smith.  As  Moses 
in  his  day,  Joseph  Smith  today  personi- 
fies the  revelations  of  God  given  him  to 
direct  the  founding  of  his  Church  and 
kingdom  upon  the  earth  today. 

In  May  1844  Josiah  Quincy,  former 
mayor  of  the  city  of  Boston,  and  his 
cultured  friend,  Dr.  Charles  Francis 
Adams,  son  and  grandson  respectively 
of  two  Presidents  of  the  United  States, 
spent  two  days  with  Joseph  Smith  in 
Nauvoo.  In  a  book  entitled,  Figures  of 
the  Past  which  Mr.  Quincy  subsequently 
published,  he  wrote  as  follows: 

"It  is  by  no  means  improbable  that 
some  future  textbook,  for  the  use  of 
generations  yet  unborn,  will  contain  a 
question  something  like  this:  What 
historical  American  of  the  nineteenth 
century  has  exerted  the  most  powerful 
influence  upon  the  destinies  of  his  coun- 
trymen? And  it  is  by  no  means  impossi- 
ble that  the  answer  to  that  interrogatory 
may  be  thus  written:  JOSEPH  SMITH 
THE  MORMON  PROPHET." 

Yes,  Joseph  Smith  was  able  to  con- 
found the  wise,  to  astonish  the  learned, 
and  to  outmarvel  the  great.  Can  any 
sincere  truth-seeker  in  the  field  of  re- 
ligion conscientiously  decline  to  make 
a  thorough  study  of  the  teachings  and 
accomplishments  of  Joseph  Smith?  Let 
every  honest  investigator  find  the  truth 
for  himself. 

Yes,  Joseph  Smith  is  a  true  prophet 
of  God.  This  I  humbly  testify. 

Joseph  Smith  must  continue  to  be 
recognized  by  the  Church  and  the  world 
to  be  the  modern-day  lawgiver  by  which 
the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  was  restored 
to  the  earth  in  its  pristine  purity.  The 
Lord  has  promised  that  his  work  and 
his  Church  would  never  again  be  taken 
from  the  earth  or  given  to  another 
people,  but  that  it  would  grow  and  ex- 
pand until  it  fills  the  whole  earth.  Note 
the  significance  of  Daniel's  inspired  in- 
terpretation of  King  Nebuchadnezzar's 
dream  in  the  second  chapter  of  Daniel 
recorded: 

"And  in  the  days  of  these  kings  shall 
the  God  of  heaven  set  up  a  kingdom, 
which  shall  never  be  destroyed:  and  the 
kingdom  shall  not  be  left  to  other 
people,  but  it  shall  break  in  pieces  and 
consume  all  these  kingdoms,  and  it 
shall  stand  for  ever."  (Dan.  2:44.) 

Paul  understood  Daniel's  interpreta- 


PRESIDENT  HENRY  D.  MOYLE 


101 


tion  just  quoted  when  he  wrote  in  his 
epistle  to  the  Ephesians,  recorded  in  the 
first  chapter: 

"That  in  the  dispensation  of  the  ful- 
ness of  times  he  might  gather  together 
in  one  all  things  in  Christ,  both  which 
are  in  heaven,  and  which  are  on  earth; 
even  in  him: 

"That  the  God  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  the  Father  of  glory,  may  give 
unto  you  the  spirit  of  wisdom  and  reve- 
lation in  the  knowledge  of  him."  (Eph. 
1:10,   17.) 

How  can  God  set  up  a  kingdom  in 
the  latter  days  when  the  kingdoms  of 
the  earth  are  to  be  destroyed  without 
revealing  the  time,  the  place,  the  in- 
strumentality fixed  and  determined  by 
him  to  accomplish  his  everlasting  pur- 
pose? 

I  hope  my  listeners  will  bear  in  mind 
that  God  is  dependent  in  large  measure 
upon  his  children  in  the  exercise  of  their 
own  free  agency  to  carry  out  his  will 
and  to  accomplish  his  purposes  upon 
the  earth. 

How  can  God  gather  together  all 
things  in  one,  both  in  heaven  and  in 
earth  in  the  fulness  of  times  without 
calling  and  ordaining  individuals  to 
fulfil  his  divine  decree?  Amos,  the 
ancient  prophet,  revealed  to  mankind 
an  eternal  truth  as  follows: 

"Surely  the  Lord  God  will  do  nothing, 
but  he  revealeth  his  secret  unto  his 
servants  the  prophets."    (Amos  3:7.) 

The  Lord  has  always  so  manifest 
himself  in  one  way  or  another  that  his 
people,  those  who  acknowledge  him  as 
their  God  and  who  lend  obedience  to 
his  laws,  should  always  know  him.  The 
Apostle  John  in  his  Gospel,  wrote: 

"And  this  is  life  eternal,  that  they 
might  know  thee  the  only  true  God, 
and  Jesus  Christ  whom  thou  hast  sent." 
(John  17:3.) 

We  are  his  people  today.  He  dwells 
among  us.  This  I  know.  And  he  is 
our  Lord,  our  God.  The  Lord  has  not 
and  does  not  leave  us  in  darkness,  and 
we  know  with  Paul  of  old,  that  ".  .  .  no 
man  can  say  that  Jesus  is  the  Lord,  but 
by  the  Holy  Ghost."  (1  Cor.  12:3.)  The 
Lord  has  provided  the  means  by  which 
we  may  receive  the  Holy  Ghost  and 
receive  the  witness  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
that  Jesus  is  the  Christ.  We  believe 
in  baptism  by  immersion  for  the  remis- 


sion of  sins.  We  believe  in  the  laying 
on  of  hands  after  baptism  for  the  gift 
of  the  Holy  Ghost.  "We  believe  that  a 
man  must  be  called  of  God,  by  prophecy, 
and  by  the  laying  on  of  hands,  by  those 
who  are  in  authority  to  preach  the  Gos- 
pel and  administer  in  the  ordinances 
thereof."    (Fifth  Article  of  Faith.) 

Jesus  Christ  conferred  his  priesthood 
upon  the  apostles  of  old.  Then  Peter, 
James,  and  John  as  resurrected  beings 
conferred  the  same  priesthood  which 
they  had  received  from  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  upon  Joseph  Smith  and  Oliver 
Cowdery.  The  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
has  also  been  conferred  upon  hundreds 
of  thousands  of  people,  living  and  dead, 
who  received  each  for  himself  through 
the  Holy  Ghost  the  testimony  that  Jesus 
Christ  is  the  Son  of  the  Living  God. 

John  in  his  Gospel  leaves  no  doubt 
about  the  office  of  the  Holy  Ghost  as  a 
member  of  the  Godhead.  The  Savior 
immediately  before  his  ascension  to 
heaven  gave  his  disciples  the  following 
assurance:  "But  the  Comforter,  which 
is  the  Holy  Ghost,  whom  the  Father  will 
send  in  my  name,  he  shall  teach  you 
all  things,  and  bring  all  things  to  your 
remembrance,  whatsoever  I  have  said 
unto  you."    (John  14:26.) 

Brigham  Young  once  said:  "Let  every 
man  and  woman  know  by  the  whisper- 
ing of  the  Spirit  of  God  to  themselves 
whether  their  leaders  are  walking  in 
the  path  the  Lord  dictates  or  not." 
(journal  of  Discourses,  Vol.  9,  p.  150.) 

It  is,  therefore,  here  that  the  right 
exists  in  every  member  of  the  Church 
to  receive  the  witness  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
concerning  that  which  the  prophet  of 
God  reveals  or  which  he  prophesies  is 
true.  Brigham  Young  furthermore  says: 
"We  can  tell  when  the  speakers  are 
moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost  only  when 
we  ourselves  are  moved  upon  by  the 
Holy  Ghost.  Therefore,  it  is  essential 
that  the  membership  of  the  Church 
be  just  as  diligent  in  their  faith  as  their 
leaders."    (Ibid.,  Vol.  7,  p.  277.) 

Through  this  gift,  people  throughout 
the  world  have  received  a  testimony  of 
the  truth.  How  can  he  bless  us  in  our 
time  of  distress  and  need  without  re- 
vealing his  power,  his  will,  his  influence, 
his  inspiration  to  us  today?  Would  you 
rather  believe  that  the  heavens  are 
closed?    Should  you  rather  rely  alone 


102 

Sunday,  April  8 

on  the  wisdom  and  strength  of  men? 
We  invite  you  to  investigate  to  your 
complete  satisfaction  the  claim  made 
by  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  that  the 
heavens  are  open,  the  ancient  gospel  is 
once  again  brought  to  earth.  Ponder 
over  the  following  revelation  of  John 
in  Revelation:  "And  I  saw  another 
angel  fly  in  the  midst  of  heaven,  having 
the  everlasting  gospel  to  preach  unto 
them  that  dwell  on  the  earth,  and  to 
every  nation,  and  kindred,  and  tongue, 
and  people."    (Rev.   14:6.) 

We  give  to  the  world  a  record  of  the 
fulfilment  of  this  prophecy  in  the  ac- 
count of  the  restoration  of  the  gospel 
through  the  instrumentality  of  the  proph- 
et Joseph  Smith.  We  give  you  Joseph 
Smith's  testimony  to  the  world  in  part' — ■ 
his  entire  testimony  is  readily  available 
to  all  who  desire  to  know  the  truth. 
Joseph  Smith,  after  reading  in  Holy 
Scriptures  the  following,  went  into  the 
woods  to  pray:  "If  any  of  you  lack 
wisdom,  let  him  ask  of  God,  that  giveth 
to  all  men  liberally,  and  upbraideth 
not;  and  it  shall  be  given  him."  (James 
1:5.) 

He  prayed  fervently  as  a  boy,  and  as 
he  prayed,  he  saw  a  pillar  of  light  ex- 
actly over  his  head  above  the  bright- 
ness of  the  sun.  Continuing,  Joseph 
said:  "When  the  light  rested  upon  me 
I  saw  two  Personages,  whose  brightness 
and  glory  defy  all  description.  . . .  One  of 
them  spake  unto  me,  calling  me  by  name 
and  said,  ...  to  the  other,  This  is  My 
Beloved  Son.  Hear  Him."  (Joseph 
Smith  2:17.) 

Joseph  Smith  asked  the  personage 
which  of  all  the  sects  was  right  and 
which  he  should  join.  "I  was  answered 
that  I  must  join  none  of  them  for  they 
were  all  wrong."  (Ibid.,  2:19.)  The 
truth  concerning  the  churches  of  the 
world  was  then  further  explained.  Joseph 
Smith  was  directed  to  await  further 
revelation  from  heaven.  A  decade  later, 
Joseph  Smith,  in  obedience  to  direction 
from  the  Lord,  organized  the  Church  of 
Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  on 
April  6,  1830  in  the  state  of  New  York. 
He  endured  every  trial,  tribulation,  and 
persecution  imaginable  until  he  was 
finally  martyred,  and,  as  I  have  said, 
he  sealed  his  testimony  to  the  world 
with  his  blood.  His  work  has  stood  the 
test  of  time  stronger  and  more  rugged 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Third  Day 

and  more  certain  now  than  ever  before 
in  spirit  and  in  testimony. 

Just  what  was  Joseph  Smith's  final 
testimony  to  the  world?  "And  now, 
after  the  many  testimonies  which  have 
been  given  of  him,  this  is  the  testimony, 
last  of  all,  which  we  give  of  him:  That 
he  lives! 

"For  we  saw  him,  even  on  the  right 
hand  of  God;  and  we  heard  the  voice 
bearing  record  that  he  is  the  Only  Be- 
gotten of  the  Father.  .  .  ."  (D&C 
76:22-23.) 

The  innermost  feelings  of  my  heart 
today  are  not  dissimilar  to  those  of 
Paul  as  he  stood  before  King  Agrippa 
when  Paul  said  to  him:  "I  would  to 
God,  that  not  only  thou,  but  also  all 
that  hear  me  this  day,  were  both  almost, 
and  altogether  such  as  I  am,  except  these 
bonds."    (Acts  26:29.) 

We  are  not  in  bonds  today.  V/e  know 
nevertheless  that  God  has  given  to  us 
the  great  plan  of  salvation  whereby  men 
through  obedience  can  bring  themselves 
back  into  the  presence  of  God,  saved  and 
exalted  eternally  in  his  kingdom.  We 
declare  with  Paul  that  "the  gospel  of 
[Jesus]  Christ  ...  is  the  power  of  God 
unto  salvation."    (Rom.    1:16.) 

We  call  the  world  to  repentance  and 
charge  the  world  with  the  responsibility 
of  prayerfully  and  humbly  seeking  the 
truth,  for  the  heavens  are  opened,  and 
God  will  reveal  unto  mankind  the 
truth. 

Let  me  say  with  Paul,  that  "the  wages 
of  sin  is  death;  but  the  gift  of  God  is 
eternal  life  through  Jesus  Christ  our 
Lord."    (Ibid.,  6:23.) 

May  he  bless  us  all  to  the  end  that 
we  may  really  know  him  through  the 
gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  I  pray,  in  the 
name  of  Jesus  Christ,  our  Redeemer. 
Amen. 

President  David  O.  McKay: 

He  to  whom  you  have  just  listened  is 
President  Henry  D.  Moyle,  First  Coun- 
selor in  the  First  Presidency  of  the 
Church.  Following  a  brief  organ  inter- 
lude the  Tabernacle  Choir  will  sing, 
"The  Hosanna  Anthem,"  with  the  Con- 
gregation joining  in  -the  chorus,  "The 
Spirit  of  God  Like  A  Fire  Is  Burning." 
Richard    P.    Condie   will    conduct    the 


ELDER  EZRA  TAFT  BENSON 


103 


Choir,  and  Alexander  Schreiner  is  at  the 
organ. 

Following  the  singing  we  shall  hear 
from  Elder  Ezra  Taft  Benson  of  the 
Council   of  the  Twelve. 

Following  a  brief  organ  interlude,  the 
Tabernacle  Choir  sang  "The  Hosanna 


Anthem."  The  Congregation  joined  in 
singing  the  chorus,  "The  Spirit  Of  God 
Like  A  Fire  Is  Burning." 

President  David  O.  McKay: 

We  shall  now  hear  from  Elder  Ezra  Taft 
Benson  of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve. 


ELDER  EZRA  TAFT  BENSON 

Of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 


My  brothers  and  sisters,  everywhere: 

With  joy  and  gratitude  I  face  you 
today  in,  and  from,  this  historic 
Tabernacle.  I  am  grateful  to  be  here: 
for  this  fellowship,  for  freedom  to  meet 
in  peace,  to  speak  without  fear,  to  at- 
tend this  inspirational  conference. 

I  thank  God  for  freedom — the  right 
of  choice.  I  am  grateful  for  this  great 
nation  in  which  we  meet.  Every  true 
Latter-day  Saint  throughout  the  world 
loves  the  USA.  The  Constitution  of  this 
land  is  part  of  every  Latter-day  Saint's 
religious  faith. 

To  us,  this  is  not  just  another  nation, 
not  just  a  member  of  the  family  of 
nations.  This  is  a  great  and  glorious 
nation  with  a  divine  mission  and  a 
prophetic  history  and  future.  It  has 
been  brought  into  being  under  the  in- 
spiration of  heaven. 

It  is  our  firm  belief,  as  Latter-day 
Saints,  that  the  Constitution  of  this  land 
was  established  by  men  whom  the  God 
of  heaven  raised  up  unto  that  very  pur- 
pose. It  is  our  conviction  also  that  the 
God  of  heaven  guided  the  founding 
fathers  in  establishing  it  for  his  particu- 
lar purpose. 

The  founders  of  this  republic  were 
deeply  spiritual  men.  They  believed 
men  are  capable  of  self-government  and 
that  it  is  the  job  of  government  to  pro- 
tect freedom  and  foster  private  initiative. 

Our  earliest  American  fathers  came 
here  with  a  common  objective — freedom 
of  worship  and  liberty  of  conscience. 
Familiar  with  the  sacred  scriptures,  they 
believed  that  liberty  is  a  gift  of  heaven. 
To  them,  man  as  a  child  of  God, 
emphasized  the  sacredness  of  the  indi- 
vidual and  the  interest  of  a  kind 
Providence  in  the  affairs  of  men  and 
nations.     These  leaders  recognized  the 


need  for  divine  guidance  and  the  im- 
portance of  vital  religion  and  morality 
in  the  affairs  of  men  and  nations. 

To  the  peoples  who  should  inhabit 
this  blessed  land  of  the  Americas,  the 
Western  Hemisphere,  an  ancient  prophet 
uttered  this  significant  promise  and 
solemn  warning:  "Behold,  this  is  a 
choice  land,  and  whatsoever  nation 
shall  possess  it  shall  be  free  from  bond- 
age, and  from  captivity,  and  from  all 
other  nations  under  heaven,  if  they  will 
but  serve  the  God  of  the  land,  who  is 
Jesus  Christ,  .  .  . 

"For  behold,  this  is  a  land  which  is 
choice  above  all  other  lands;  wherefore 
he  that  doth  possess  it  shall  serve  God 
or  shall  be  swept  off;  for  it  is  the  ever- 
lasting decree  of  God.  .  .  ."  (See  Ether 
2:12,  10.) 

Ancient  American  prophets  six  hun- 
dred years  before  Christ  foresaw  the 
coming  of  Columbus  and  those  who 
followed.  These  prophets  saw  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  colonies,  the  war  for 
independence,  and  predicted  the  out- 
come. These  prophecies  are  contained 
in  a  volume  of  scripture  called  the  Book 
of  Mormon.  This  sacred  record,  a  com- 
panion volume  to  the  Holy  Bible,  which 
it  confirms,  is  an  added  witness  to  the 
divine  mission  of  Jesus  Christ  as  the  Son 
of  God  and  Redeemer  of  the  world. 

How  I  wish  every  American  and  every 
living  soul  would  read  the  Book  of 
Mormon.  I  testify  to  you  that  it  is  true. 
It  tells  about  the  prophetic  history  and 
mission  of  America.  It  gives  the  com- 
forting assurance  that  God  has  kept  this 
great  nation,  as  it  were,  in  the  hollow 
of  his  hand  in  preparation  for  its  great 
mission. 

Yes,  the  Lord  planned  it  all.  Why? 
So  America  could  serve  as  a  beacon  of 


104 

Sunday,   April   8 

liberty  and  in  preparation  for  the  open- 
ing of  a  new  gospel  dispensation — the 
last  and  greatest  of  all  dispensations  in 
preparation  for  the  second  coming  of 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  To  achieve  his 
purposes  the  Lord  had  to  have  a  base  of 
operations.  Later  he  revealed  to  a  mod- 
ern prophet  that  the  Constitution  of  this 
land  was  established  by  "wise  men" 
whom  the  Lord  "raised  up  unto  this 
very  purpose."  (See  D&C  101:80.)  The 
Lord  also  directed  that  the  constitutional 
laws  of  the  land,  supporting  the  princi- 
ple of  freedom,  should  be  upheld  and 
that  honest  and  wise  men  should  be 
sought  for  and  upheld  in  public  office. 

The  establishment  of  this  great  Chris- 
tian nation,  with  a  spiritual  foundation, 
was  all  in  preparation  for  the  restoration 
of  the  gospel,  following  the  long  night 
of  apostasy.  Then  in  1820  the  time  had 
arrived.  God  the  Father  and  his  Son 
Jesus  Christ  made  their  glorious  ap- 
pearance. I  give  you  a  few  words  from 
the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith,  who  was  the 
instrument  in  God's  hands  in  restoring 
the  gospel  and  establishing  the  true 
Church  of  Christ  again  upon  the  earth. 
In  response  to  humble  prayer  Joseph  re- 
lates: "...  I  saw  a  pillar  of  light  exactly 
over  my  head,  above  the  brightness  of 
the  sun,  which  descended  gradually  un- 
til it  fell  upon  me. 

".  .  .  When  the  light  rested  upon  me 
I  saw  two  Personages,  whose  brightness 
and  glory  defy  all  description,  standing 
above  me  in  the  air.  One  of  them  spake 
unto  me,  calling  me  by  name  and  said, 
pointing  to  the  other — This  is  My  Be- 
loved Son.   Hear  Him!"    (JS  2:16-17.) 

To  me  this  is  the  greatest  event  that 
has  occurred  in  this  world  since  the 
resurrection  of  the  Master — and  it  hap- 
pened in  America. 

Later,  other  heavenly  messengers  came 
to  restore  the  authority  of  the  Holy 
Priesthood  and  important  keys  essential 
to  the  opening  of  the  final  gospel  dis- 
pensation. The  Church  was  organized 
in  1830.  Immediately,  in  response  to 
divine  command,  missionary-messengers 
began  to  carry  the  important  message  of 
salvation  throughout  the  world.  It  is  a 
world  message  intended  for  all  of  God's 
children.  And  so,  once  this  nation  was 
well  established,  then  the  Church  was 
restored  and  from  here  the  message  of 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Third   Day 

the  restored  gospel  has  gone  forth.  All 
according  to  divine  plan. 

This  then  becomes  the  Lord's  base 
of  operations  in  these  latter  days.  And 
this  base  will  not  be  shifted  out  of  its 
place — the  land  of  America.  This  nation 
will,  in  a  measure  at  least,  fulfil  its  mis- 
sion even  though  it  may  face  serious 
and  troublesome  days.  The  degree  to 
which  it  achieves  its  full  mission  de- 
pends upon  the  righteousness  of  its 
people.  God  has,  through  his  power, 
established  a  free  people  in  this  land 
as  a  means  of  helping  to  carry  forward 
his  purposes. 

"It  was  his  latter-day  purpose  to  bring 
forth  his  gospel  in  America,  not  in  any 
other  place.  It  was  in  America  where 
the  Book  of  Mormon  plates  were  depos- 
ited. That  was  no  accident.  It  was  his 
design.  It  was  in  this  same  America 
where  they  were  brought  to  light  by 
angelic  ministry.  It  was"  .  .  .  [here] 
"where  he  organized  his  modern  Church, 
where  he,  himself  made  a  modern  per- 
sonal appearance."  (Editorial,  Church 
News.) 

Yes,  it  was  here  under  a  free  govern- 
ment and  a  strong  nation  that  protection 
was  provided  for  his  restored  Church. 
Now  God  will  not  permit  his  base  of 
operations — America — to  be  destroyed. 
He  has  promised  protection  to  this  land 
if  we  will  but  serve  the  God  of  the  land. 
He  has  also  promised  protection  to  the 
righteous  even,  if  necessary,  to  send 
fire  from  heaven  to  destroy  their  enemies. 
(Ether  2:12,  1  Nephi  22:17.) 

No,  God's  base  of  operations  will  not 
be  destroyed.  But  it  may  be  weakened 
and  made  less  effective.  One  of  the  first 
rules  of  war  strategy — and  we  are  at  war 
with  the  adversary  and  his  agents — is 
to  protect  the  base  of  operations.  This 
we  must  do  if  we  are  to  build  up  the 
kingdom  throughout  the  world  and 
safeguard  our  God-given  freedom. 

How  will  we  protect  this  base  of 
operations? 

We  must  protect  this  base  of  opera- 
tions from  every  threat — from  sin,  from 
unrighteousness,  immorality,  from  des- 
ecration of  the  Sabbath  day,  from  law- 
lessness, from  parental  and  juvenile 
delinquency. 

We  must  protect  it  from  dirty  movies, 
filthy   advertising,   from   salacious   and 


ELDER  EZRA  TAFT  BENSON 


105 


suggestive  TV  programs,  magazines,  and 
books. 

We  must  protect  this  base  from  idle- 
ness, subsidies,  doles,  and  soft  govern- 
mental paternalism  which  weakens  ini- 
tiative, discourages  industry,  destroys 
character,  and  demoralizes  people. 

We  must  protect  this  base  from 
complacency — from  the  dangerous  feel- 
ing that  all  is  well — from  being  lulled 
away  into  a  false  security.  We  must 
protect  this  American  base  from  the 
brainwashing,  increasingly  administered 
to  our  youth  in  many  educational  in- 
stitutions across  the  land,  by  some 
misinformed  instructors  and  some  wolves 
in  sheep's  clothing.  Their  false  indoc- 
trination, often  perpetrated  behind  the 
front  of  so-called  academic  freedom,  is 
leaving  behind  many  faithless  students, 
socialist-oriented,  who  are  easy  subjects 
for  state  tyranny. 

"At  what  point,  then,  is  the  approach 
of  danger  to  be  expected?"  asked  Abra- 
ham Lincoln,  and  answered,  ".  .  .  If 
it  ever  reaches  us,  it  must  spring  up 
among  us.  It  cannot  come  from  abroad. 
If  destruction  be  our  lot,  we  must  our- 
selves be  its  author  and  finisher.  As  a 
nation  of  freemen,  we  must  live  through 
all  time  or  die  by  suicide."  (Springfield, 
111.,  Jan.  27,  1837.) 

The  only  threat  to  the  liberty  and 
independence  of  the  American  people 
from  abroad  is  the  threat  of  world  com- 
munism spreading  from  its  base  in  the 
Soviet  Union.  But  the  best  authorities 
are  confident  that  the  Soviets  will  not 
provoke  a  major  war.  Their  economy 
would  not  support  it. 

Lenin  said,  "The  soundest  strategy  in 
war  is  to  postpone  operations  until  the 
moral  disintegration  of  the  enemy  ren- 
ders the  mortal  blow  possible  and  easy." 
Commenting  on  Lenin's  statement  the 
Indianapolis  Star  adds:  "Where  then 
does  the  real  danger  lie?  It  lies  with 
us — the  American  people.  .  .  . 

"Other  great  civilizations  have  died 
by  suicide.  The  first  free  people,  the 
Greeks,  died  thus. 

"And  why  did  Greece  fall:  'A  slack- 
ness and  softness  finally  came  over  them 
to  their  ruin.  In  the  end  more  than  they 
wanted  freedom  they  wanted  security,  a 
comfortable  life,  and  they  lost  all — 
security,  comfort  and  freedom.' 


"It  is  the  same  with  Americans  to- 
day. The  danger  that  threatens  us  is 
an  internal  danger.  It  lies  in  our  hearts 
and  minds  and  not  in  the  hands  of 
Khrushchev. 

"It  is  our  own  ignorance — ignorance 
of  our  own  history  and  our  heritage  of 
liberty  that  threatens  us.  It  is  our 
ignorance  of  the  true  nature  of  our  ene- 
my, socialistic  communism,  that  threat- 
ens us.  .  .  .  Our  own  lack  of  faith  in 
freedom  and  ourselves,  our  own  lack  of 
confidence  in  the  greatness  of  America 
and  all  that  she  stands  for,  morally  and 
materially,  is  what  puts  us  in  mortal 
danger. 

"Too  many  of  us  are  afraid — afraid 
of  atomic  war,  afraid  of  the  disapproval 
of  our  allies  or  the  neutrals,  afraid  of 
the  threats  and  boasts  of  the  bloated 
tyrants  in  the  Kremlin,  afraid  to  offend 
others  by  taking  action  to  defend  our- 
selves." 

Yes,  we  are  afraid  to  live  righteously 
according  to  eternal  principles — eco- 
nomic, moral,  and  spiritual.  This  is  our 
danger.  We  must  never  forget  that  na- 
tions may — and  usually  do — sow  the 
seeds  of  their  own  destruction  while 
enjoying  unprecedented  prosperity.  As 
Jenkin  Lloyd  Jones  said,  "It  is  time 
we  hit  the  sawdust  trail.  It  is  time  we 
revived  the  idea  that  there  is  such  a 
thing  as  sin — just  plain  old  willful  sin. 
It  is  time  we  brought  self-discipline 
back  into  style.  .  .  . 

"I  am  fed  up  with  the  educationists 
and  pseudo-scientists  who  have  under- 
rated our  potential  as  a  people.  ...  I  am 
tired  of  seeing  America  debased  and 
low-rated  in  the  eyes  of  foreigners.  I 
am  genuinely  disturbed  that  to  idealistic 
youth  in  many  countries  the  fraud  of 
Communism  appears  synonymous  with 
morality,  while  we,  the  chief  reposi- 
tory of  real  freedom,  are  regarded  as 
being  in  the  last  stages  of  decay. 

"In  this  hour  of  fear,  confusion  and 
self-doubt  ...  let  there  be  a  fresh 
breeze,  a  breeze  of  new  honesty,  new 
idealism,  new  integrity." 

To  protect  this  base  we  must  protect 
the  soul  of  America — we  must  return  to 
a  love  and  respect  for  the  basic  spiritual 
concepts  upon  which  this  nation  has 
been  established.    We  must  study  the 


106 

Sunday,   April   8 

Constitution  and  the  writings  of  the 
founding  fathers. 

Yes,  we  must  protect  the  Lord's  base 
of  operations  by  moving  away  from 
unsound  economic  policies  which  en- 
courage creeping  socialism  and  its  com- 
panion, insidious,  atheistic  communism. 
If  we  are  to  protect  this  important  base, 
we  must  as  a  nation  live  within  our 
means,  balance  our  budgets,  and  pay  our 
debts.  We  must  establish  sound  mone- 
tary policies  and  take  needed  steps  to 
compete  in  world  markets. 

If  we  are  to  protect  this  American  base, 
we  must  realize  that  all  things,  includ- 
ing information  disseminated  by  our 
schools,  churches,  and  government, 
should  be  judged  according  to  the  words 
of  the  prophets,  especially  the  living 
prophet.  This  procedure  coupled  with 
the  understanding  which  will  come 
through  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord,  if  we 
are  living  in  compliance  with  the  scrip- 
tures, is  the  only  sure  foundation  and 
basis  of  judgment.  Any  other  course 
of  action  leaves  us  muddled,  despondent, 
wandering  in  shades  of  gray,  easy  targets 
for  Satan. 

We  must  not  fail  in  these  pressing 
and  important  matters.  We  must  not 
fall  short  of  the  great  mission  the  Lord 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Third   Day 

has  proffered  and  outlined  for  America 
and  for  his  divinely  restored  Church. 

Yes,  this  is  a  choice  land — a  nation 
with  a  prophetic  history. 

God  bless  America  and  her  leaders, 
and  all  the  free  world.  And  may  God 
protect  his  latter-day  base  of  operation 
that  his  glorious  message  of  salvation 
may  go  forth  to  all  the  world,  I  hum- 
bly pray  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ. 
Amen. 

President  David  O.  McKay: 

Elder  Ezra  Taft  Benson,  a  member  of 
the  Council  of  the  Twelve,  has  just 
spoken.  The  Tabernacle  Choir  will  now 
sing,  "Lord  Now  Victorious." 


The  Tabernacle  Choir  sang  the 
anthem,  "Lord  Now  Victorious." 

President  David  O.  McKay: 

You  have  listened  to  Elder  Ezra  Taft 
Benson,  one  of  the  members  of  the 
Twelve.  President  Hugh  B.  Brown, 
Second  Counselor  in  the  First  Presi- 
dency, will  now  be  our  concluding 
speaker. 


PRESIDENT  HUGH  B.  BROWN 

Second  Counselor  in  the  First  Presidency 


I  pray  for  divine  guidance  as  I  humbly 
undertake  to  speak  to  this  vast  audience. 
May  the  Holy  Spirit  dictate  what  is  said, 
and  then  it  will  be  the  truth,  and  may 
that  same  Spirit,  which  is  the  Spirit  of 
truth,  accompany  the  spoken  word  to 
our  edification  and  blessing. 

A  brief  explanation  of  our  interpre- 
tation and  acceptance  of  the  most 
fundamental  of  all  Christian  doctrines 
may  assist  both  friends  and  members 
to  answer  the  recurring  question:  Are 
the  Latter-day  Saints,  or  Mormons, 
Christians? 

We  might  with  profit,  and  we  hope 
with  some  interest,  consider  the  ques- 
tion: What  does  it  mean  to  be  a  Chris- 
tian? The  dictionary  defines  a  Christian 
as  one  who  follows  the  precepts  and 
example  of  Jesus  Christ,  or  one  whose 


life  is  conformed  to  the  doctrines  of 
Jesus  of  Nazareth. 

Now  we  cannot,  of  course,  this 
morning  discuss,  nor  could  we  hardly 
enumerate  the  various  saving  principles 
of  the  gospel  of  Christ,  but  there  is  one 
doctrinal  event  which  foreshadows  and 
overshadows  all  other  Christian  doc- 
trine. I  refer  to  the  atonement  of 
Christ,  and  it  would  seem  that  this 
would  be  appropriate,  as  we  approach 
the  Easter  time.  "We  believe  that 
through  the  Atonement  of  Christ,  all 
mankind  may  be  saved,  by  obedience  to 
the  laws  and  ordinances  of  the  Gospel." 
(Third  Article  of  Faith.) 

Faith  in  this  one  transcendent  event, 
the  most  important  in  all  history,  is  the 
enduring  foundation  upon  which  the 
true  Christian  gospel  is  built.    Upon  it, 


PRESIDENT  HUGH  B.  BROWN 


107 


the  salvation  of  the  whole  human 
family  depends.  He  who  understands 
and  accepts  the  full  significance  of  the 
vicarious  sacrifice  of  Jesus  Christ  and 
conforms  to  the  principles  and  ordi- 
nances which  that  acceptance  enjoins 
may  be  properly  classified  as  a  Christian. 
But  there  must  be  more  than  mere  lip 
service;    faith    alone    is    not   sufficient. 

Jesus  said:  "Wherefore  by  their  fruits 
ye  shall  know  them. 

"Not  every  one  that  saith  unto  me, 
Lord,  Lord,  shall  enter  into  the  kingdom 
of  heaven;  but  he  that  doeth  the  will 
of  my  Father  which  is  in  heaven." 
(Matthew  7:20-21.) 

What  must  one  do  to  become  a  Chris- 
tian or  to  be  saved  is  an  ancient  and 
oft-repeated  question  which  was  an- 
swered by  Peter,  the  apostle,  on  the  day 
of  Pentecost,  when  through  his  power- 
ful sermon  the  people  were  convinced 
and  pricked  in  their  hearts  and  cried 
out:  "Men  and  brethren,  what  shall  we 
do?"  and  the  apostle  said,  ".  .  .  Repent, 
and  be  baptized  every  one  of  you  in  the 
name  of  Jesus  Christ  for  the  remission  of 
sins,  and  ye  shall  receive  the  gift  of 
the  Holy  Ghost."  (Acts  2:38.) 

Forgiveness  on  terms  of  repentance  is 
a  basic  Christian  principle.  But  is  one 
saved  by  merely  meeting  these  pre- 
liminary requirements?  The  Apostle 
Paul,  in  one  of  his  dynamic  letters,  said, 
speaking  of  these  principles:  ".  .  .  let  us 
go  on  unto  perfection;  not  laying  again 
the  foundation  of  repentance  from  dead 
works,  and  of  faith  toward  God," 
(Hebrews  6:1.) 

And  he  adds  that  the  work  of 
perfecting  the  Saints  (the  people  of  the 
Church  in  former  days  were  known  as 
Saints)  must  continue  "Till  we  all  come 
in  the  unity  of  the  faith,  and  of  the 
knowledge  of  the  Son  of  God,  unto  a 
perfect  man,  unto  the  measure  of  the 
stature  of  the  fulness  of  Christ:" 
(Ephesians  4:13.) 

Salvation  is  a  continuing,  on-going 
process.  It  is  eternally  improving, 
achieving,  becoming — yes,  and  over- 
coming. In  some  ways  it  may  be 
analogous  to  education,  which  is  a  con- 
tinuous process  of  overcoming  ignorance. 
When  is  a  man  educated?  When  is  a 
man  saved?  We  believe  a  man  is  saved 
no  faster  than  he  gains  knowledge  for 


"the  glory  of  God  is  intelligence."  (See 
D&C  93:36.) 

Is  a  man  educated  when  he  enrolls 
in  college,  or  when  he  gets  his  bache- 
lor's, his  master's  or  doctorate?  Yes, 
relatively,  he  is  an  educated  man,  but  he 
still  has  a  lifetime — an  eternity,  in  fact, 
in  which  to  pursue  knowledge  and  truth. 
The  highest  reaches  of  life  are  but  em- 
bryonic in  the  light  of  eternity,  and  man 
has  every  reason  to  hope  that  a  future 
life  will  afford  him  full  scope  for  larger 
and  fuller  achievement. 

This  Church,  which  bears  Christ's 
name,  has  from  the  beginning  uniformly 
taught  that  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  is  the  first  saving  principle  of  the 
gospel,  but  as  the  poet  tells  us,  "Heaven 
is  not  gained  by  a  single  bound,  but 
we  build  the  ladders  by  which  we  rise, 
from  the  lowly  earth  to  the  vaulted 
skies,  and  mount  to  its  summit  round 
by  round." 

Faith  must  be  confirmed  and  demon- 
strated by  active  acceptance  of  all  the 
other  principles  and  ordinances  taught 
by  him  whose  name  is  incorporated  in 
the  word  Christian. 

We  do  not  claim  to  understand  fully 
the  atonement  in  all  of  its  limitless  scope 
and  infinite  blessing;  but  God  has  re- 
vealed enough  detail  concerning  the 
need,  purpose,  and  universal  application 
of  the  atonement  of  Christ  to  justify 
the  doctrine  that  the  resurrection  from 
the  dead  is  assured  to  all  men. 

John  said:  "And  I  saw  the  dead,  small 
and  great,  stand  before  God;  and  the 
books  were  opened:  and  another  book 
was  opened,  which  is  the  book  of  life: 
and  the  dead  were  judged  out  of  those 
things  which  were  written  in  the  books, 
according  to  their  works."  (Rev.  20:12.) 

Eternal  life  and  exaltation,  however, 
made  possible  by  the  vicarious  sacrifice 
of  Christ  may  be  progressively  attained 
by  man's  voluntary  co-operation  with 
divine  will  and  purpose.  When  we 
think  of  any  reconciliation  or  appease- 
ment or  settlement,  we  consider  it  in 
connection  with  some  previous  act  or 
event  of  which  it  is  a  sequel.  For  in- 
stance, a  treaty  of  peace  is  a  sequel  of 
war.  A  settlement  of  a  claim  or  an 
obligation  implies  there  has  been  an 
account  with  a  debit  balance.  When 
we  speak  of  the  atonement  wrought  by 


108 

Sunday,  April  8 

Jesus  Christ,  we  envision  an  unpaid 
debt,  and  antecedent  transgression; 
something  to  atone  for. 

All  students  of  the  Bible  who  accept 
the  New  Testament  see  in  his  atone- 
ment a  sequel  to  the  transgression  of 
Adam,  generally  known  as  the  Fall  of 
Adam.  Through  the  Fall,  Adam  and 
Eve  and  all  their  posterity  became  sub- 
ject to  bodily  disintegration  and  death 
and  also  to  banishment  from  the  pres- 
ence of  God,  which  is  in  the  nature  of 
spiritual  death,  and  this  despite  the  fact 
that  the  cause  was  individual  trans- 
gression. By  the  individual  atonement 
of  Christ,  free  redemption  from  the 
transgression  of  Adam  is  assured  to  all. 
Paul  assures  us  that:  ".  .  .  since  by  man 
came  death,  by  man  came  also  the 
resurrection  of  the  dead. 

"For  as  in  Adam  all  die,  even  so  in 
Christ  shall  all  be  made  alive." 
(1  Corinthians  15:21-22.) 

The  transgression  of  Adam,  together 
with  all  of  its  consequences,  was 
foreseen  and  the  expiation  provided  for 
before  the  foundations  of  the  world  were 
laid.  In  that  primeval  council,  of  which 
the  scriptures  speak,  when  "all  the  sons 
of  God  shouted  for  joy"  (see  Job  38:7), 
Christ  offered  himself  as  a  ransom. 
He  was  not  coerced  or  required  to  make 
this  sacrifice.  His  free  agency  was  in 
no  way  infringed  or  trammeled.  It  was 
a  freewill,  love-inspired  offer,  which 
could  have  been  withdrawn  at  any  time. 
It  was  optional  until  the  very  time  of 
his  crucifixion.  He  gently  rebuked 
Peter,  you  remember,  who  would  have 
defended  him  with  a  sword  at  the  time 
of  the  betrayal,  and  Jesus  said:  "Think- 
est  thou  that  I  cannot  now  pray  to  my 
Father,  and  he  shall  presently  give  me 
more  than  twelve  legions  of  angels?" 
(Matthew  26:53.) 

The  question  is  sometimes  asked: 
Why  was  such  a  sacrifice  of  God's  be- 
loved Son  permitted  or  accepted?  Why 
not  let  someone  else  pay  that  debt? 
Why  not  Adam? 

The  answer  is  found  in  the  fact 
that  of  all  the  sons  of  God,  only  Christ 
could  qualify,  because  he  was  the  only 
sinless  man  who  ever  walked  the  earth. 
Furthermore,  he  was  the  First  Begotten, 
the  eldest  of  the  sons  of  God  in  the 
spirit,   and  the  Only  Begotten  in  the 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Third  Day 

flesh,  and  therefore  the  only  one  who 
possessed  the  full  powers  of  Godhood 
and  manhood.  Hear  him  refer  to  that 
premortal  existence  in  the  most  beauti- 
ful prayer  on  record,  found  in  the  17th 
chapter  of  John;  he  prayed:  "And  now, 
O  Father,  glorify  thou  me  with  thine 
own  self  with  the  glory  which  I  had 
with  thee  before  the  world  was." 
(John  17:5.) 

Christ  was  the  only  one  wholly  free 
from  the  dominion  of  Satan,  the  only 
one  possessed  of  power  to  hold  death 
in  abeyance  and  to  die  only  as  he 
willed  so  to  do,  the  only  one  who  could 
conquer  death.  He  said:  "For  as  the 
Father  hath  life  in  himself;  so  hath  he 
given  to  the  Son  to  have  life  in  him- 
self;" (John  5:26.) 

And  again:  "Therefore  doth  my  Father 
love  me,  because  I  lay  down  my  life, 
that  I  might  take  it  again. 

"No  man  taketh  it  from  me,  but  I  lay 
it  down  of  myself.  I  have  power  to 
lay  it  down,  and  I  have  power  to  take 
it  again "  (John  10:17-18.) 

Another  question  is  sometimes  heard: 
Why  should  Christ  have  volunteered  to 
make  this  sacrifice?  What  was  the 
motive  that  inspired  and  sustained  him 
from  the  time  of  that  council  in  heaven 
until  the  moment  of  his  agonized  cry, 
"It  is  finished"?  (John  19:30.) 

The  answer  to  this  question  is  two- 
fold: first,  his  undeviating  devotion  to 
his  Father's  will.  He  said:  ".  .  .  My 
meat  is  to  do  the  will  of  him  that  sent 
me,  and  to  finish  his  work."  (Ibid., 
4:34.) 

Second  was  his  supernal  and  all-em- 
bracing love  for  mankind,  who,  without 
his  mediation,  would  have  remained 
in  the  total  gloom  of  desiring  without 
hope  throughout  eternity. 

As  the  late  President  Taylor  very 
beautifully  and  very  truthfully  said, 
speaking  of  the  atonement:  "Is  justice 
dishonored?  No;  it  is  satisfied,  the 
debt  is  paid.  Is  righteousness  departed 
from?  No;  this  is  a  righteous  act.  All 
requirements  are  met.  Is  judgment 
violated?  No;  its  demands  are  fulfilled. 
Is  mercy  triumphant?  No;  she  simply 
claims  her  own.  Justice,  judgment, 
mercy  and  truth  all  harmonize  as  the 
attributes  of  Deity.  'Justice  and  truth 
have   met   together,   righteousness    and 


PRESIDENT  HUGH  B.  BROWN 


109 


peace  have  kissed  each  other.'  Justice 
and  judgment  triumph  as  well  as  mercy 
and  peace;"  (The  Mediation  and  Atone- 
ment, 1950  edition,  p.  167.) 

What  was  the  alternative  to  the 
atonement?  What  if  there  had  been 
no  atonement?  If  there  had  been  no 
atonement,  all  men  would  have  been 
doomed  to  eternal  death,  for  unless 
Christ  had  broken  its  bonds,  death 
would  have  been  victorious.  All  who 
died  before  the  Meridian  of  Time  were 
still  in  their  graves  when  Christ  came 
forth  triumphantly  from  the  tomb  and 
broke  the  bonds  that  held  them  captive. 

Matthew  records  that:  ".  .  .  the  graves 
were  opened;  and  many  bodies  of  the 
Saints  which  slept  arose, 

"And  came  out  of  the  graves  after 
his  resurrection,  and  went  into  the 
holy  city,  and  appeared  unto  many." 
(Matthew  27:52-53.) 

Thus  he  became  the  first  fruits  of 
them  that  slept.  When  the  Apostle 
Paul  comprehended  the  full  meaning 
of  this  unprecedented  event,  he  joy- 
fully exclaimed:  "O  death,  where  is 
thy  sting?  O  grave,  where  is  thy  vic- 
tory?" (1  Corinthians  15:55.) 

And  Jesus  comforted  and  reassured  all 
the  grieving  Marthas  of  the  world  with 
these  immortal  words:  "...  I  am  the 
resurrection,  and  the  life:  he  that  be- 
lieveth  in  me,  though  he  were  dead, 
yet  shall  he  live: 

"And  whosoever  liveth  and  believeth 
in  me  shall  never  die.  .  .  ."  (John 
11:25-26.) 

But  the  victory  over  death  is  not  the 
only  benefit  arising  from  the  atonement 
of  the  Messiah;  his  atonement  not  only 
liberated  all  men  from  eternal  death 
but,  through  the  atonement,  forgive- 
ness of  our  individual  sins  may  be 
obtained.  He  made  it  possible  for  us, 
through  faith,  repentance,  and  continued 
righteousness,  to  obtain  absolution  from 
the  effects  of  personal  sins.  One  does 
not  get  the  full  benefit  of  the  atonement 
simply  by  acknowledging  it. 

Men  cannot  be  saved  in  their  sins 
because,  by  divine  decree,  no  unclean 
thing  can  enter  the  kingdom  of  heaven; 
however,  through  repentance,  baptism, 
and  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  men 
may  be  saved  from  their  sins. 

No  man  can  by  one  single  act,  how- 


ever great  or  sincere,  free  himself  from 
the  necessity  for  that  "patient  contin- 
uance in  well  doing"  of  which  Paul 
speaks.  He  must  still  follow  the  Master 
and  endure  to  the  end.  Jesus  plainly 
and  impressively  taught  this  truth  to 
the  young  man  who  came  to  him  saying: 

".  .  .  Good  Master,  what  good  thing 
shall  I  do,  that  I  may  have  eternal  life? 

"And  he  said  unto  him,  Why  callest 
thou  me  good?  there  is  none  good  but 
one,  that  is,  God:  but  if  thou  wilt  enter 
into  life,  keep  the  commandments. 

"He  saith  unto  him,  Which?  Jesus 
said,  Thou  shalt  do  no  murder,  Thou 
shalt  not  commit  adultery,  Thou  shalt 
not  steal,  Thou  shalt  not  bear  false 
witness, 

"Honor  thy  father  and  thy  mother: 
and,  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbour  as 
thyself. 

"The  young  man  saith  unto  him,  All 
these  things  have  I  kept  from  my  youth 
up:  what  lack  I  yet? 

"Jesus  said  unto  him,  If  thou  wilt  be 
perfect,  go  and  sell  that  thou  hast,  and 
give  to  the  poor,  and  thou  shalt  have 
treasure  in  heaven:  and  come  and  follow 
me."    (Matthew  19:16-21.) 

It  is  not  enough  therefore  merely  to 
keep  the  commandments  or  obey  the 
law  nor  even  to  sell  all  and  give  to  the 
poor.  The  final  requirement  is  to  follow 
the  Master.    The  poet  has  us  sing: 

"Jesus,  I  my  cross  have  taken,  all  to 
leave  and  follow  thee; 

"Naked,  poor,  despised,  forsaken,  thou 
from  hence  my  all  shall  be. 

"Perish  every  fond  ambition,  all  I've 
thought,  or  hoped,  or  known; 

"Yet  how  rich  is  my  condition,  God 
and  Heaven  are  still  my  own!" 

That  all  men  are  sinners  in  varying 
degrees  is  repeatedly  affirmed  in  the 
New  Testament.  Paul  wrote  to  the 
Romans:  "For  all  have  sinned,  and 
come  short  of  the  glory  of  God;"  (Ro- 
mans 3:23.) 

And  John  adds:  "If  we  say  that  we 
have  no  sin,  we  deceive  ourselves,  and 
the  truth  is  not  in  us."  (1  John  1:8.) 

Peter  said:  "And  beside  this,  giving 
all  diligence,  add  to  your  faith  virtue; 
and  to  virtue  knowledge; 

"And  to  knowledge  temperance;  and 
to  temperance  patience;  and  to  patience 
godliness; 


no 

Sunday,  April  8 

"And  to  godliness  brotherly  kindness; 
and  to  brotherly  kindness  charity. 

"For  if  these  things  be  in  you,  and 
abound,  they  make  you  that  ye  shall 
neither  be  barren  nor  unfruitful  in  the 
knowledge  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 
(2  Peter  1:5-8.) 

That  the  blessings  of  the  atonement  are 
to  be  made  available  not  only  to  all  who 
lived  before  the  time  of  Christ  but  also 
to  all  who  die  without  an  opportunity 
to  hear  the  gospel  is  evidenced  by  Peter's 
declaration:  "For  for  this  cause  was  the 
gospel  preached  also  to  them  that  are 
dead,  that  they  might  be  judged  accord- 
ing to  men  in  the  flesh,  but  live  accord- 
ing to  God  in  the  spirit."   (1  Peter  4:6.) 

The  Savior  himself  confirms  this  as 
follows:  "Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you, 
The  hour  is  coming,  and  now  is,  when 
the  dead  shall  hear  the  voice  of  the  Son 
of  God:  and  they  that  hear  shall  live." 
(John  5:25.) 

In  answer  to  the  question  then,  what 
does  it  mean  to  be  a  Christian  and  are 
we  Christians,  we  reply  that  the  doc- 
trines we  teach  are  Christian  by  every 
test  of  the  scripture  and  of  revelation. 
In  practice  we  confess  we  often  fall  short. 
However,  we  are  earnestly  trying  to 
bring  our  lives  into  complete  harmony 
with  his  laws  and  thus  become  entitled 
to  the  full  blessings  of  the  atonement 
and  become  progressively  better  Chris- 
tians. 

No  one  of  us  is  justified  in  praying 
as  did  the  Pharisee  of  old,  "God,  I 
thank  thee,  that  I  am  not  as  other 
men.  .  .  ."  (Luke  18:11.)  There  is  no 
room  in  the  true  Christian  life  for  an 
attitude  of  "holier  than  thou."  Each 
one  who  claims  to  be  a  Christian  could 
with  better  grace  pray  as  did  the  pub- 
lican, "God  be  merciful  to  me,  a  sin- 
ner."   (Ibid.,  18:13.) 

Humbly  we  bear  witness  tbat  God 
is  a  reality;  he  is  personal  and  is  our 
Father;  that  Jesus  of  Nazareth  is  the 
Redeemer  and  Savior  of  the  world;  that 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Third  Day 

the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  has  been  re- 
stored to  the  earth;  and  we  wish  all 
men  could  hear  and  accept  that  mes- 
sage. 

As  Peter  said  in  answer  to  the  Savior's 
question,  "Whom  say  ye  that  I  am?" 
we  say  with  him,  "Thou  art  the  Christ, 
the  Son  of  the  living  God."  (See  Matt. 
16:15-16.)  May  God  be  with  you  till 
we  meet  again,  I  pray  in  the  name  of 
Jesus  Christ.    Amen. 

President  David  O.  McKay: 

We  shall  conclude  this  session  of  the 
132nd  Annual  Conference  of  the  Church 
with  the  Tabernacle  Choir  singing,  "God 
Be  With  You  Till  We  Meet  Again." 
Following  the  singing,  the  benediction 
will  be  offered  by  Elder  James  I.  Gibson, 
president  of  the  Lake  Mead  Stake.  This 
Conference  will  then  be  adjourned  until 
two  o'clock  this  afternoon. 

We  express  our  deep  appreciation  to 
the  owners  and  managers  of  the  many 
television  and  radio  stations  who  have 
offered  their  facilities  as  a  public  service 
to  make  the  proceedings  of  this  Con- 
ference available  to  the  many  million 
persons  throughout  North  America, 
South  America,  Europe,  and  many  other 
areas  of  the  world. 

The  Choir  will  now  sing,  "God  Be 
With  You  Till  We  Meet  Again,"  and 
the  Men's  Chorus  of  the  Tabernacle 
Choir  will  sing,  "The  Lord  Bless  You 
and  Keep  You." 


The  Choir  and  Congregation  joined 
in  singing  the  hymn,  "God  Be  With 
You  Till  We  Meet  Again,"  following 
which  the  Men's  Chorus  of  the  Taber- 
nacle Choir  sang,  "The  Lord  Bless  You 
And  Keep  You." 

The  closing  prayer  was  offered  by 
Elder  James  I.  Gibson,  president  of  the 
Lake  Mead  Stake. 

Conference  adjourned  until  2:00  p.m. 


THIRD  DAY 
AFTERNOON  MEETING 


The  concluding  session  of  the  Con- 
ference was  held  in  the  Tabernacle  at 
2:00  p.m.,  Sunday,  April  8. 


The  choral  music  for  this  session  of 
the  Conference  was  furnished  by  the 
Tabernacle    Choir,    with    Richard    P. 


ELDER  MARK  E.  PETERSEN 


111 


Condie  and  Jay  E.  Welch  conducting. 
Alexander  Schreiner  was  at  the  organ. 
President  David  O.  McKay,  who  pre- 
sided and  conducted  the  services  of  this 
meeting,  made  the  following  introduc- 
tory remarks: 

President  David  O.   McKay: 

You  will  be  pleased  to  hear  the  first 
indication  that  the  Conference  this 
morning  was  heard  over-seas.  It  is 
a  wonderful  thing  to  be  alive  in  this 
age.  This  message  comes  from  Uruguay: 
"Quickmere,  President  David  O.  McKay. 
Receiving  conference  short-wave.  Our 
prayers  are  with  you.  President  Fyans, 
Uruguayan  Mission." 

As  we  were  anxious  at  this  morning's 
meeting  to  have  our  vast  radio-television 
audience  hear  the  talks  of  the  General 
Authorities  and  the  singing  of  the  Taber- 
nacle Choir,  it  was  necessary  to  eliminate 
many  announcements  and  expressions 
of  appreciation.  You  would  like  to  know 
that  the  fifth  session  of  this  Conference 
of  the  Church  was  General  Priesthood 
Meeting  held  last  night.  The  proceedings 
of  that  session  were  relayed  by  closed 
circuit  to  an  estimated  66,000  members 
of  the  Priesthood  assembled  in  320 
Church  buildings  throughout  the  United 
States  and  in  Canada. 

The  speakers  were  Bishop  Robert  L. 
Simpson,  Bishop  Victor  L.  Brown,  Bishop 
John  H.  Vandenberg,  and  the  members 
of  the  First  Presidency.  The  Men's 
Chorus  of  the  Tabernacle  Choir  fur- 
nished the  music. 

This  afternoon  we  extend  a  welcome 
to  all — radio  and  television  audiences, 
special  guests,  educational  leaders,  Gen- 
eral Church  officers  and  members  of  the 
Church,  and  friends  now  assembled  in 
this  building. 

The  music   for   this   session   will   be 


rendered  by  the  Tabernacle  Choir,  with 
Richard  P.  Condie  and  Jay  E.  Welch 
conducting.  Elder  Alexander  Schreiner 
is  at  the  organ. 

We  shall  begin  these  services  by  the 
Tabernacle  Choir  singing,  "He  Watch- 
ing Over  Israel,"  with  Jay  E.  Welch 
directing.  The  invocation  will  be  offered 
by  Elder  Don  Carlos  Brown,  Jr.,  presi- 
dent of  the  San  Fernando  Stake. 

The  Tabernacle  Choir  sang  the  an- 
them, "He  Watching  Over  Israel." 

President  Don  Carlos  Brown,  Jr.  of  the 
San  Fernando  Stake  offered  the  Invo- 
cation. 

President  David  O.  McKay: 

President  Don  Carlos  Brown,  Jr.  of- 
fered the  invocation.  He  is  president  of 
the  San  Fernando  Stake.  The  Tabernacle 
Choir  will  now  sing  "We  Are  Watch- 
men." You  will  be  interested  to  know 
that  the  text  is  written  by  President 
Joseph  Fielding  Smith  and  the  music  is 
by  Alexander  Schreiner.  Jessie  Evans 
Smith  will  be  the  soloist,  the  conductor, 
Richard  P.  Condie.  After  the  singing, 
Elder  Mark  E.  Petersen  of  the  Council 
of  the  Twelve  will  address  us. 

The  Tabernacle  Choir  sang  a  selec- 
tion, "We  Are  Watchmen,"  (words  by 
President  Joseph  Fielding  Smith,  music 
by  Alexander  Schreiner),  Jessie  Evans 
Smith  soloist. 

President  David  O.  McKay: 

Elder  Mark  E.  Petersen  of  the  Council 
of  the  Twelve  will  be  our  first  speaker. 
He  will  be  followed  by  Elder  S.  Dil- 
worth  Young  of  the  First  Council  of 
Seventy. 


ELDER  MARK  E.  PETERSEN 

Of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 


It  is  always  a  great  thrill  to  stand  here 
at  this  pulpit  :where  the  prophets  of 
God  stand.  It  is  most  humbling  to  be 
in  the  presence  of  our  great  president, 
prophet,  seer,  and  revel  ator.  It  is  won- 
derful that  we  love  him  as  we  do  and 
that  we  sustain  him  and  uphold  him, 


and  I  humbly  and  earnestly  pray  that 
every  one  of  us  may  do  so  all  the  days 
of  our  lives. 

It  is  a  glorious  privilege  to  be  able 
to  live  in  a  day  when  there  are  prophets 
in  the  earth,  and  I  am  humbly  thankful 
for    the    privilege    of    associating   with 


112 

Sunday,  April  8 

President  McKay  and  all  of  these  won- 
derful men  who  surround  him.  I  would 
like  you  to  know  that  they  are  prophets 
of  God,  that  the  Lord  guides  them, 
that  they  are  men  without  guile,  and 
that  they  have  their  whole  purpose  set 
in  serving  the  Lord. 

So  every  one  of  us  as  Latter-day  Saints 
may  place  our  full  and  complete  confi- 
dence in  them,  and  I  surely  hope  and 
pray  that  we  will  do  so  by  keeping  the 
commandments  and  maintaining  the 
high  standards  that  the  Lord  has 
given  us. 

My  wife  and  I  have  had  a  glorious 
experience  in  the  last  month  or  six 
weeks.  It  was  a  great  spiritual  uplift 
to  us.  One  of  these  great  spiritual  ex- 
periences began  with  our  accompanying 
Brother  and  Sister  John  Longden  into 
the  mission  home  in  Samoa  one  morning 
about  three  weeks  ago.  There  we  were 
met  by  the  little  five  or  six-year-old 
daughter  of  President  and  Sister  [J. 
Phillip]  Hanks,  who  preside  in  Samoa. 

This  lovely  little  child,  filled  with 
excitement,  ran  up  to  us  and  said,  "I 
am  going  to  Sauniatu."  We  smiled  with 
her  and  enjoyed  her  excitement,  but  we 
were  just  as  excited  as  she  was,  because 
we  were  going  to  Sauniatu,  also.  We 
could  hardly  wait  till  we  got  there, 
just  as  she. 

As  we  went  along  in  the  automobile 
towards  Sauniatu,  the  mission  president 
told  again  the  story  of  a  tremendous 
spiritual  experience  that  took  place  in 
Sauniatu  about  forty  years  ago.  Presi- 
dent David  O.  McKay  was  the  central 
figure  in  that  experience.  As  we  neared 
the  village,  we  saw  the  marker  which 
designates  the  place  where  he  stood  as 
he  called  down  from  heaven  a  great 
blessing  upon  that  village  and  upon  all 
of  Samoa. 

Then  we  went  on  into  the  village, 
and  there  we  saw  the  larger  monument 
that  has  been  erected  in  commemoration 
of  this  glorious  event  and  in  recognition 
of  the  love  of  the  people  of  Samoa  for 
this  great  man  who  has  become  the 
president,  the  prophet,  seer,  and  reve- 
lator  of  this  Church. 

We  were  surrounded  by  the  people. 
We  went  to  the  monument  and  had 
again  recounted  the  marvelous  experi- 
ence that  had  made  it  significant.  There 
came  to  us  a  realization  that  this  monu- 


CENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Third   Day 

ment  was  also  a  monument  to  the 
great  spirituality  which  is  characteristic 
of  so  many  of  the  Polynesian  people. 

We  remembered  the  experiences  of 
Brother  Matthew  Cowley  among  those 
people.  You  recall  how  he  thrilled  us 
with  his  faith-promoting  stories  of  the 
experiences  he  had  had  among  them. 
All  of  this  came  back  to  us  as  we, 
ourselves,  were  deeply  touched,  and 
we  recognized  the  wonderful  things  that 
had  lived  on  in  the  minds  and  the 
hearts  of  the  people  there. 

As  we  met  with  the  people  in 
Sauniatu,  we  prayed  with  them,  we 
spoke  to  them,  we  sang  with  them,  and 
again  recognized  that  these  people  were 
but  representative  of  all  of  the  Poly- 
nesian Saints  and  that  the  Polynesian 
Saints  are  characterized  by  a  tremendous 
faith. 

Why  do  they  have  this  great  faith? 
It  is  because  these  people  are  of  the 
blood  of  Israel.  They  are  heirs  to  the 
promises  of  the  Book  of  Mormon.  God 
is  now  awakening  them  to  their  great 
destiny. 

As  Latter-day  Saints  we  have  always 
believed  that  the  Polynesians  are  de- 
scendants of  Lehi  and  blood  relatives 
of  the  American  Indians,  despite  the 
contrary  theories  of  other  men.  For  that 
reason,  from  the  beginning  of  our 
Church  history  we  have  had  more  than 
an  ordinary  interest  in  them  as  a  people. 
But  now  that  interest  is  even  more 
keen.  Recent  research  on  the  part  of 
world-recognized  scientists  and  schol- 
ars has  focused  a  new  light  upon  them, 
and  writings  of  early  explorers  in  both 
America  and  Polynesia  have  become 
available  now  for  detailed  study. 

The  new  knowledge  which  has  been 
developed  shows  that  the  Polynesians 
without  any  reasonable  doubt  did  come 
from  America,  that  they  are  closely 
related  to  the  American  Indian  in  many 
respects,  and  that  even  their  tradi- 
tions and  genealogies  bear  that  out. 

So  pronounced  is  this  feeling  among 
the  world  scholars  of  today  that  one 
of  them,  Thor  Heyerdahl,  widely  known 
Norwegian  anthropologist,  who  sailed 
the  raft  Kon  Tiki  from  America  to  the 
Polynesian  Islands,  titled  one  of  his 
books  American  Indians  in  the  Pacific. 
It  is  a  remarkable  volume  of  great  inter- 
est to  Latter-day  Saints. 


ELDER  MARK  E.  PETERSEN 


113 


With  him  are  other  writers  who  con- 
firm and  re-confirm  the  facts  now  being 
disclosed  that  there  is  every  reason  to 
believe  that  the  Polynesians  are  directly 
related  to  the  American  Indians,  that 
they  came  from  American  shores  and 
sailed  westward  to  their  Pacific  Islands, 
and  that  they  took  with  them  their  cus- 
toms, their  food,  and  their  religion,  all 
of  which  have  left  a  permanent  mark 
upon  Polynesia. 

Pronounced  as  are  these  views  estab- 
lishing the  relationship  of  Polynesians 
and  American  Indians,  there  are  equally 
impressive  data  now  available  to  dis- 
prove the  theory  that  the  Polynesians 
originated  in  the  Orient  and  came  east- 
ward from  Indonesia,  Malaya,  and  near- 
by lands.  Let  us  just  mention  a  few 
of  the  convincing  points  of  evidence. 

Most  of  you  have  seen  the  great  stone 
pyramids,  or  photographs  of  them,  dis- 
covered by  archaeologists  in  Mexico, 
Central,  and  South  America.  Pyramids 
of  almost  identical  structure,  both  in 
plan  and  material,  if  not  in  size,  have 
been  found  in  Polynesia.  I  saw  some 
of  them  myself  within  the  last  month. 

Stone  roadways,  so  characteristic  of  the 
pre-Inca  period  of  America,  are  found  to 
be  duplicated  in  some  of  the  Pacific  Is- 
lands. Giant  stone  statues  such  as  are 
found  in  the  lands  of  South  America 
and  among  the  Incas  are  now  discovered 
in  the  Polynesian  Islands,  with  char- 
acteristics and  markings  so  similar  that 
few  can  doubt  their  common  origin. 
This  includes  many  of  the  structures 
found  on  Easter  Island. 

The  sweet  potato  of  the  Pacific  Is- 
lands, known  in  Polynesia  as  the  kumara 
or  kumalla,  as  it  is  called  in  Tonga,  is 
now  found  by  botanists  to  be  the  identi- 
cal plant  which  is  native  to  South 
America  with  impressive  evidence  as  to 
the  manner  in  which  it  was  transported 
from  Peru  to  the  Pacific  Islands. 

Cotton,  coconuts,  pineapples,  and 
papaya  are  likewise  being  traced  from 
Polynesia  to  America  by  botanists  who 
now  announce  that  the  Polynesian  vari- 
eties of  these  plants  are  but  offshoots 
of  the  parent  plants  in  America. 

The  ocean  currents  have  been  observed 
in  our  time  to  carry  drifting  objects  to 
Polynesia  from  two  places  in  America, 
one  being  the  Pacific  Northwest  and  the 
other  the  Central  and  South  American 


region.  Large  Pacific  Northwest  pine 
logs  have  been  traced  in  the  drifting 
currents  of  the  Pacific  Ocean  from  the 
Vancouver  area  of  North  America  to  the 
Hawaiian,  Marshall,  and  Caroline  Is- 
lands. Hawaiians  and  other  Polyne- 
sians have  made  canoes  from  these 
drifted  pine  logs  and  in  them  have 
traveled  from  island  to  island.  There  are 
no  such  trees  growing  in  Polynesia.  They 
came  by  ocean  currents  from  the  Pacific 
Northwest  of  America. 

This  is  the  more  notable  when  it  is 
observed  that  customs  and  household 
articles  characteristic  of  the  Indians  of 
the  Pacific  Northwest  of  America  have 
been  found  on  a  wide  scale  in  Polynesia. 

Written  descriptions  of  fortifications 
built  on  some  of  the  Polynesian  Islands 
remind  one  of  chapters  in  the  Book  of 
Mormon  which  portray  the  fortifications 
built  by  the  great  General  Moroni  here 
in  ancient  America.  Kivas,  character- 
istic of  American  Indians  today,  are 
found  in  Polynesia. 

Words  and  place  names  in  the  lan- 
guage of  the  Polynesians  of  the  various 
island  groups  are  now  found  to  be 
identical  to  those  common  among  the 
early  people  of  Peru.  Many  of  these 
words  are  actually  identical  in  spelling 
and  pronunciation. 

I  cannot  resist  mentioning  one  of 
them.  It  is  Kanakana,  the  name  of  one 
of  the  dieties  of  both  the  Incas  and  the 
Polynesians.  The  reason  this  name  in- 
terests me  so  much  is  that  it  means 
brightness  or  light  or  knowledge  or 
intelligence.  They  believed  that  the 
glory  of  God  was  intelligence  and  there- 
fore named  him  so.  This  is  noted  in 
both  pre-Inca  and  Polynesian  religions. 

There  are  many  other  religious 
teachings  which  are  the  same  in  both 
areas.  Both  peoples  believe  in  the 
creation  by  the  Almighty.  They  both 
believe  that  the  first  man  was  the  father 
of  all  living  and  that  the  first  woman 
was  the  mother  of  all  living,  using  these 
actual  phrases.  They  believe  in  the 
Flood.  They  accept  an  atonement  by 
a  Savior.  They  both  believe  in  a  White 
God  who  came  among  their  forefathers 
and  performed  mighty  miracles.  They 
believe  in  the  water  of  life  or  living 
water  which  is  given  by  the  Savior. 

The  islanders  say  that  their  fore- 
fathers came  from  the  east,  from  a  land 


114 

Sunday,  April  8 

of  high  mountains  and  plateaus  in  the 
skies,  which  fits  the  description  of  the 
western  coast  of  South  America.  The 
genealogies  of  the  Pacific  Islanders  are 
traced  to  American  ancestors. 

Large  fonts  which  archaeologists 
claim  were  baptismal  fonts  have  been 
found  in  both  areas.  Burial  customs 
are  similar.  Both  groups  believed  in 
an  all-powerful  governing  Trinity  of 
Gods.  There  is  one  story  in  Polynesia 
which  reminds  us  of  the  story  of  the 
brother  of  Jared. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  of  all  the 
reports  brought  out  by  Heyerdahl  and 
other  scientists  who  have  made  a  serious 
study  of  the  Polynesians  and  their  rela- 
tionship to  the  Americans  is  this,  and 
it  surprised  me  tremendously: 

These  anthropologists  have  learned 
that  prior  to  the  coming  of  the  Spaniards 
there  were  both  white  and  brown  peo- 
ple in  America,  that  the  white  people 
were  as  white  as  snow,  according  to 
their  descriptions,  and  that  they  had 
brown,  blonde,  or  red  hair.  The  hair 
was  not  dyed  nor  treated  in  any  way. 
It  grew  that  way.  Now,  to  our  great 
astonishment,  they  tell  us  also  that 
white  people  as  well  as  brown  people 
emigrated  from  America  to  Polynesia 
and  that  some  of  these  white  people 
lived  in  the  islands  in  the  times  of  the 
early  explorers  in  the  Pacific  who  saw 
them  and  wrote  about  them.  Think  of 
the  significance  of  that  fact  in  relation 
to  the  Book  of  Mormon. 

I  repeat:  Anthropologists  now  say 
that  white  people,  more  fair  than 
the  Spaniards,  and  brown  people  like 
the  Polynesians  of  today,  lived  side  by 
side  in  America  in  pre-Spanish  times. 
Both  white  and  brown  people  emigrated 
from  America  to  the  Pacific  Islands. 
They  were  seen  by  the  early  explorers 
in  those  islands.  The  white  people 
were  blondes  and  redheads,  and  some 
had  soft,  brown  hair.  Their  skins  were 
as  white  as  snow,  whiter  than  the 
Spaniards.  All  of  this  from  the  anthro- 
pologists! 

Significantly  enough,  these  white  men 
living  in  the  islands  wore  beards  and 
their  faces  resembled  the  faces  of  Euro- 
peans. Anthropologists  now  say  that 
these  white  islanders  were  of  Caucasian 
descent  without  a  doubt,  and  remember, 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Third  Day 

they  were  already  there  when  the  first 
explorers  arrived  and  found  them. 

Such  white  people  actually  were  seen 
on  Easter  Island,  as  well  as  on  other 
Pacific  Islands,  and  although  they  no 
longer  survive,  the  traditions  of  the  na- 
tives tell  of  them  as  do  the  authentic 
writings  of  early  historians. 

On  Easter  Island,  Heyerdahl  himself 
was  told  by  the  mayor  of  the  principal 
community  that  there  were  two  kinds 
of  people  on  that  island  at  first,  white 
and  brown,  and  that  the  white  people 
were  really  white  people  with  light 
hair.  The  anthropologists  have  long 
since  discarded  the  idea  that  they  might 
have  been  albinos. 

Captain  Cook  saw  some  of  these  white 
natives  on  his  journeys  and  wrote  about 
them.  One  came  aboard  his  ship.  The 
other  natives  told  Captain  Cook  that 
this  white  native  was  their  leader  and 
that  he  was  of  divine  descent  and  was 
therefore  held  in  high  respect. 

It  is  notable  that  the  highest  ideal  of 
beauty  among  these  islanders  was  the 
white  skin.  It  was  regarded  as  a  sign 
of  descent  from  the  best  of  the  ancient 
lineages  and  as  a  symbol  of  chieftainship 
of  pure  blood. 

But  where  did  these  white  people 
come  from  and  how  did  they  reach 
these  islands? 

The  evidence  recently  compiled  says 
they  came  from  America. 

But  were  there  white  men  in  early 
America,  previous  to  the  coming  of  the 
Spaniards? 

Recently  published  records  from  the 
Spaniard  Pizarro  tell  about  similar 
white  people  found  in  Peru. 

Pedro  Pizarro,  chronicler  of  the  Span- 
ish conquerors,  wrote  that  whereas  the 
majority  of  the  Indians  in  the  Andes 
Mountains  were  small  and  of  brown 
complexion,  the  members  of  the  Inca 
ruling  family  were  tall  and  had  whiter 
skins  than  the  Spaniards  themselves. 
Pizarro  says  that  these  white  Incas  of 
Peru  actually  were  white,  not  albinos, 
but  white  people  with  soft  blonde  or 
brown  or  red  hair. 

Archaeologists  have  now  found  mum- 
mies of  the  Inca  period  bearing  out  this 
fact.  They  were  well-preserved  mum- 
mies with  soft  hair,  blonde,  or  red  or 
brown   in   color.     Colored  photographs 


ELDER  SEYMOUR  DILWORTH  YOUNG 


115 


of  these  mummies  have  been  published 
and  widely  distributed.  They  are  avail- 
able in  books  sold  right  here  in  Salt  Lake 
City.  They  are  the  work  of  anthro- 
pologists and  archaeologists  having  no 
connection  with  the  Church  whatsoever. 

Pizarro  asked  the  Incas  of  his  day 
who  these  white  people  were  and  was 
told  that  they  were  the  last  of  the  de- 
scendants of  a  divine  race  of  white  men 
with  beards.  These  men  were  given  the 
name  of  Viracocha,  or  "sea  foam"  be- 
cause they  were  so  white. 

We  live  today  in  a  time  of  research, 
discovery,  and  knowledge.  The  new 
knowledge  bears  testimony  that  both 
Nephites  and  Lamanites  lived  in  an- 
cient America.  Regardless  of  the  names 
given  them  by  the  scientists  or  the  early 
Incas,  to  us  they  were  Nephites  and 
Lamanites.  This  new  knowledge  like- 
wise bears  testimony  that  both  Nephites 
and  Lamanites  emigrated  from  America 
to  Polynesia,  that  they  have  been  seen 
by  modern  explorers  and  seafarers  who 
have  written  about  them  and  that  their 
customs  and  beliefs  relate  to  the  Book 
of  Mormon. 

To  me  it  all  adds  up  to  a  renewed 
testimony  that  the  Book  of  Mormon  is 
true,  that  Joseph  Smith  was  a  Prophet 


of  God,  that  the  gospel  is  true,  and  that 
indeed  Jesus  of  Nazareth  is  the  Christ, 
the  White  God  known  as  well  to  the 
Polynesians  as  to  the  early  Americans, 
and  that  his  coming  to  America  after 
his  resurrection  in  Palestine  is  the  basis 
of  the  religion  of  both  ancient  Ameri- 
cans and  ancient  Polynesians,  now 
handed  down  to  modern  times  with  the 
rest  of  their  traditions. 

It  is  glorious  to  see  the  confirming  evi- 
dence as  it  comes  forth  from  unexpected 
sources,  sustaining  in  principle  after 
principle  our  holy  faith.  We  do  not 
depend  upon  it  for  our  faith  at  all,  but 
we  welcome  its  sustaining  power  never- 
theless. 

The  gospel  is  true.  The  Book  of 
Mormon  is  true.  Jesus  is  the  Christ, 
and  Joseph  Smith  is  his  Prophet.  That 
is  the  testimony  I  leave  with  you,  in  the 
name  of  the  Savior  Jesus  Christ.    Amen. 

President  David  O.  McKay: 

We  have  just  listened  to  Elder  Mark 
E.  Petersen  of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve. 
Elder  S.  Dilworth  Young,  a  member  of 
the  First  Council  of  the  Seventy,  will 
now  speak  to  us.  He  will  be  followed 
by  Elder  Packer. 


ELDER  SEYMOUR  DILWORTH  YOUNG 

Of  the  First  Council  of  the  Seventy 


As  I  listened  to  Elder  Mark  E.  Petersen, 
I  wished  that  all  of  the  youth  of  the 
Church  could  hear  what  he  was  saying. 
Many  of  us  talk  over  the  heads  of  chil- 
dren; I  believe  he  said  something  they 
could  understand.  He  mentioned  the 
affection  that  he  and  the  twelve  have 
for  President  McKay  as  well  as  his 
assurance  of  the  prophetic  calling  of  the 
President  of  the  Church. 

I  felt  that  I  should  like  to  get  up  and 
shout,  "Please  include  me  in  that,  also." 
I  am  certain  that  everyone  here  would 
want  to  be  included.  If  they  were  asked 
to  voice  their  feeling,  the  roar  of  ap- 
proval would  have  shaken  this  building, 
so  glad  would  they  have  been  to  express 
their  affection  also. 

Heber  C.  Kimball,  a  member  of  the 
First  Presidency  at  one  time,  and  the 
grandfather  of  Elder  Spencer  W.  Kim- 
ball,  had    great   prophetic   vision.    He 


voiced  it  occasionally,  and  once  he  said, 
(I  am  not  quoting  him  verbatim  but  as 
I  recall  it)  "There  is  a  test  coming; 
there  will  be  a  testing."  What  he  was 
trying  to  imply,  I  suppose,  was  that 
we  must  not  get  smug,  that  the  test 
would  come,  and  each  one  of  us  would 
have  an  opportunity  to  find  out  if  he 
would  stand  when  the  pressure  was  on, 
when  seemingly  the  evidences  were 
against  us,  when  all  hell  would  be 
raised  up  to  defeat  us.  Would  we  stand 
the  test?  I  am  sure  he  meant  to  imply 
that  every  man  would  be  tested  before 
he  would  be  accepted. 

I  submit  that  the  modern  testing 
which  comes  from  the  insidious  boring- 
in  of  ideas  which  imitate  truth,  excuse 
deception,  and  discount  both  evil  and 
its  author,  is  a  much  more  difficult  one 
to  encompass  and  to  resist  than  the 
physical  tests  of  the  past.    In  the  day 


116 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Sunday,  April  8 

when  Brother  Kimball  spoke,  there  ap- 
peared to  be  more  physical  difficulties 
to  encompass  than  those  spiritual  or 
mental.  At  that  time  we  could  protect 
our  children.  Life  was  simple.  We 
could  easily  persuade  them  to  see  as  we 
saw  and  do  as  we  did,  because  a  large 
part  of  communication  was  from  parent 
to  children.  No  one  else  had  very 
much  to  do  with  them. 

Now,  however,  the  test  is  directed  at 
the  children.  They  are  being  deceived 
into  believing  that  they  can  think  and 
act  with  maturity  long  before  they  are 
mature.  In  this  they  are  much  deceived, 
and  rebellious  against  parental  restraint. 
They  are  ripe  fruit  for  the  plucking. 

Today  our  test  is  with  our  families 
and  the  false  ideals  of  the  day.  We 
need  not  succumb  to  it.  Parents  can 
protect  their  children  if  they  will,  but 
it  takes  time  and  effort;  but  parents  are 
still  the  most  potent  and  sure  protection 
and  defense,  provided  they  are  righteous 
parents,  alert  and  informed. 

I  cannot  believe,  personally,  that  the 
Lord  God  compromises  black  and  white 
into  gray — if  I  might  use  a  metaphor 
of  color.  If  I  read  correctly,  his  con- 
stant admonition  is  to  become  white, 
to  purify  one's  self,  to  become  perfect. 
I  think  the  Lord  draws  sharp  lines  and 
declares  that  whatever  leads  to  evil  is 
evil.  It  is  the  evil  in  us  which  leads  us 
to  want  to  compromise  a  little  and  to 
be  earthy  as  well  as  earthly. 

May  I  present  two  points  of  view:  If 
my  normal  outlook  is  that  it  is  ex- 
pected that  my  child  will  have  the 
experiences  of  marriage  without  its  re- 
sponsibilities during  adolescence,  and 
that  handling  cocktails  successfully 
without  becoming  obnoxious  to  my  fel- 
lows is  manly,  or  that  cigarets  with 
coffee  during  and  after  meals  is  desir- 
able, or  that  a  trip  to  a  gambling  palace 
in  a  neighboring  state  is  a  legitimate 
recreation,  or  that  viewing  vulgar  or  ex- 
citing floor  shows  is  not  sin  so  long  as 
I  take  no  physical  active  part,  then  I 
am  not  going  to  be  alarmed  at  the  ad- 
vice some  people  give  my  adolescent 
children  about  their  actions,  nor  am  I 
going  to  be  concerned  with  their  tele- 
vision fare  nor  with  what  type  of  pictures 
appear  in  their  favorite  weekly  maga- 
zines, especially  those  which  glamorize 


Third   Day 

drunken  and  debauching  night  life  in 
flaming  color.  Since  under  these  cir- 
cumstances I  have  no  real  reason  to 
elevate  my  life,  believing  that  old- 
fashioned  morality  is  outdated,  I  shall 
then  class  as  great  literature  some  works 
such  as  Boccaccio,  Casanova,  Lawrence, 
Fitzgerald,  and  others,  to  make  certain 
that  for  a  rounded-out  life,  my  children 
should  be  exposed  to  the  accounts  of 
recreation  of  these  loose  and  lewd  men 
who  happened  to  have  unusual  powers 
of  sensual  description. 

And  since  my  body  is  not  sacred  but 
a  purely  animal  creation,  an  accident  of 
some  evolutionary  urge  without  any 
particular  pressure  in  any  particular 
direction  to  bring  me  to  what  I  am  to- 
day, then  I  can  laugh  with  great  pleasure 
at  jokes  and  sly  references  to  its  func- 
tions. If  my  children  end  up  in  need 
of  psychiatric  help  when  they  discover 
the  futility  of  life,  I  can  also  get  cheap 
medical  help  by  going  to  a  moving 
picture  in  which  an  author  of  like  mind 
and  habit,  combined  with  a  director 
who  understands,  because  this  has  been 
his  experience  also,  portrays  the  agonies 
and  frustrations  of  those  whose  mental 
equipment  has  broken  down  upon  the 
indulgence  in  these  evils,  for  an  equally 
sadistic  solution  to  the  problem  thus 
posed.  Then  I  can  take  comfort  from 
the  thought  that  my  children  have  had 
the  same  kind  of  experience  and  are  not 
so  abnormal  after  all. 

Children  echo  the  words  and  imitate 
the  standards  of  the  adults  to  whom 
they  are  exposed.  If  a  child  grows  up 
in  an  environment  where  stealing  hub 
caps  and  gasoline,  or  ganging  up  on 
innocents  in  the  street,  or  breathing  glue- 
fumes,  is  the  normal  expectation,  it  can- 
not be  expected  that  his  conception  of 
moral  integrity  will  make  his  word 
worth  much  or  his  actions  trustworthy 
when  he  gets  to  be  a  mature  adult.  I 
can  lull  my  conscience  by  thinking 
that  his  actions  are  the  result  of  a 
disease  which  anyone  knows,  of  course, 
can  strike  anyone.  Therefore  he  is 
not  fundamentally  accountable  for  what 
he  does.  He  is  to  be  pitied  but  not 
censured. 

But  if  my  understanding  is  to  know 
my  true  place  in  the  eternal  purpose  of 
God,  that  I  am  his  son,  that  I  may  be- 


ELDER  SEYMOUR  DILWORTH  YOUNG 


117 


come  like  him,  and  that  his  command- 
ments are  to  be  kept,  that  happiness 
is  found  only  by  being  in  harmony  with 
his  laws,  and  further,  that  Satan  is 
determined  to  keep  me  from  either 
practising  or  thinking  about  these  ele- 
vating truths,  I  say,  if  this  is  my  knowl- 
edge and  my  belief,  then  I  am  going  to 
be  not  only  concerned,  but  I  am  also 
going  to  take  action  to  protect  my  chil- 
dren from  the  designs  of  evil  men  in 
the  last  days,  as  the  89th  section  por- 
trays. (See  D&C  89:4.)  I  shall  do  my  best 
to  teach  my  child  that  he  is  a  sacred 
person,  that  he  is  an  eternal  being  of 
two  parts,  body  and  spirit,  to  be  fused 
together  in  the  resurrection,  that  this 
eternal  joining  will  best  be  accomplished 
if  each  part  has  equal  development,  that 
the  body  must  be  trained  and  condi- 
tioned for  eternal  progress  in  its  celestial 
abode  as  well  as  the  spirit,  that  because 
it  is  of  the  earth  it  tends  to  become 
earthy  as  well  as  earthly,  but  that  it  can 
be  made  subject  to  the  will  of  the  spirit. 

I  shall  give  him  enough  of  my  time 
to  guide  him  but  not  enough  to  over- 
shadow him  or  to  take  away  his  agency, 
his  practise  in  making  decisions.  But  I 
shall  make  certain  that  he  has  the  cor- 
rect viewpoint  of  the  malpractices  of 
modern  life  and  expose  him  to  all  that 
I  can  find  that  is  good  and  true  and 
right. 

I  shall  show  him  the  joy  of  righteous 
endeavor  and  the  rewards  of  righteous 
thought  and  habit,  and  while  in  his 
formative  years,  I  shall  teach  him  to  love 
truth  and  beauty  and  to  abhor  the 
sordid  and  the  drab.  I  shall  also  pro- 
tect him  from  evil  influences  that  are 
beyond  his  understanding,  but  not  be- 
yond his  imitating. 

Above  all,  I  shall  do  my  best  to  teach 
him  the  basic  difference  between  right 
and  wrong  and  show  him  that  his 
decisions  must  always  be  made  on  that 
basis  rather  than  on  the  basis  of  con- 
venience or  advantage  to  himself.  I 
shall  teach  him  the  wages  of  sin  is 
death,  that  evil  is  sin  which  he  is  to 
resist  with  all  his  strength,  that  he  is 
accountable  and  will  have  to  answer 
for  it.  And  I  shall  also  teach  him  a  true 
understanding  of  repentance  and  of  the 
great  sacrifice  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
so  that  repentance  will  have  meaning 
and  purpose.     I  shall   do  my  best  to 


teach  him  the  sacredness  of  life  and  of 
the  family.  He  will  be  taught,  too,  the 
importance  of  the  family  relation  in  the 
eternal  plan.  Already  he  will  have 
seen  some  practical  examples  of  this  in 
the  conduct  of  my  own  life  of  which 
he  has  such  a  daily,  intimate  view. 

I  shall  realize  that  I  cannot  deceive 
him  if  I  will  as  to  the  kind  of  man  I 
am,  but  I  can  fill  him  with  the  ideals 
of  the  kind  of  man  I  should  be  and 
desire  him  to  become. 

If  I  as  a  holder  of  the  priesthood  of 
the  Son  of  God  attempt  to  compromise 
by  accepting  some  of  the  gray  evils,  say- 
ing they  will  do  no  harm  because  I  am 
an  adult  and  can  control  them,  I  have 
betrayed  his  generation  which  indeed 
must  be  taught  to  draw  the  sharp  line 
if  we  are  to  survive. 

Such  I  believe  must  be  our  course 
if  we  are  to  keep  alive  the  testimony 
and  the  gospel  in  the  next  generation. 

Let  us  with  all  our  strength  work  to 
defeat  the  purposes  of  him  who  is  the 
author  of  the  first  point  of  view,  lest 
there  be  applied  to  our  children  the 
rebuke  that  Alma  gave  to  Corianton 
when  he  reminded  him  of  the  great 
iniquity  he  brought  upon  the  Zoramites 
for,  said  he,  ".  .  .  when  they  saw  your 
conduct  they  would  not  believe  my 
words."  (Alma  39:11.) 

But  rather  let  us  pledge  our  lives  to 
truth  and  right  and  be  alert  to  fulfil  the 
vision  and  prophecy  given  to  Nephi 
when  he:  ".  .  .  beheld  the  power  of  the 
Lamb  of  God,  that  it  descended  upon 
the  saints  of  the  church  of  the  Lamb, 
and  upon  the  covenant  people  of  the 
Lord,  who  were  scattered  upon  all  the 
face  of  the  earth;  and  they  were  armed 
with  righteousness  and  with  the  power 
of  God  in  great  glory."  (1  Nephi  14:14.) 

I  sustain  the  work  of  the  Church, 
and  I  witness  that  it  belongs  to  Jesus 
Christ,  is  acknowledged  by  him,  and 
I  witness  also  the  fact  that  we  have  a 
living  prophet,  the  living  prophet  of  our 
Lord  among  us,  in  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ.    Amen. 

President  David  O.  McKay: 

Elder  S.  Dilworth  Young  of  the  First 
Council  of  Seventy  has  just  spoken  to 
us.  Elder  Boyd  K.  Packer,  Assistant  to 
the  Twelve,  will  be  our  next  speaker. 


118 

Sunday,  April  8 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

ELDER  BOYD  K.  PACKER 

Assistant  to  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 


Third    Day 


I  address  my  remarks,  my  brothers  and 
sisters,  to  the  youth  of  the  Church.  It 
has  been  my  privilege  over  the  past 
number  of  years  to  travel  throughout 
the  Church  and  become  closely  ac- 
quainted with  the  young  people,  par- 
ticularly those  of  high  school  and  col- 
lege age. 

I  supose  if  I  have  any  distinction  as 
one  of  the  General  Authorities,  it  would 
be  my  closeness  to  the  youth  of  the 
Church  in  two  respects:  first,  the  recency 
of  my  call  from  among  them,  and  next, 
my  nearness  to  them  by  virtue  of  my 
age,  or  perhaps  I  should  say,  lack  of  it. 
I  earned  that  distinction  last  October 
the  first,  when  it  was  grudgingly  yielded 
to  me  by  President  Marion  D.  Hanks  of 
the  First  Council  of  the  Seventy. 

My  young  friends,  members  of  the 
Church,  I  do  not  profess  to  understand 
you  fully.  I  think  it  is  true,  however, 
that  perhaps  you  do  not  understand 
yourselves  fully.  But,  I  will  confess  to 
a  great  love  for  you  and  a  great  faith 
in  you  and  an  intense  yearning  desire 
to  be  helpful  to  you.  I  would  hope  that 
you  could  profit  by  my  experience  and 
know  that  soon,  prematurely  perhaps, 
certainly  without  warning,  the  respon- 
sibilities of  leadership  will  come  to  you, 
and  in  recognition  of  that,  I  would  like 
to  counsel  you  just  a  little. 

My  young  friends,  I  am  not  frightened 
of  you,  not  frightened  for  you,  and  I  am 
not  reticent  to  speak  rather  pointedly  to 
you.  As  I  have  learned  to  love  you,  to 
become  acquainted  with  you,  as  I  have 
traveled  throughout  the  Church,  my 
conviction  has  grown  that  not  only 
will  you  accept  pointed,  specific  counsel 
and  help,  but  that  you  are  hungry  for 
it  and  that  you  desire  it. 

I  speak  with  a  sense  of  urgency. 

Friday,  Brother  Romney  quoted  from 
the  eighty-eighth  section  of  the  Doctrine 
and  Covenants,  and  I  should  like  to 
quote  a  verse  that  precedes  those  read 
by  Brother  Romney — the  eighty-eighth 
section,  verse  seventy-three,  the  Lord 
speaking: 

"Behold,  I  will  hasten  my  work  in  its 
time."  I  repeat,  "Behold,  I  will  hasten 
my  work  in  its  time." 


And  my  young  friends  in  the  Church, 
I  bear  witness  that  this  is  the  day  of 
hastening,  and  as  I  speak  to  you  about 
opportunity  and  obligation,  I  stress  the 
word  "obligation." 

Many  years  ago,  my  parents  lived  in 
a  very  modest  home  in  the  northern  end 
of  the  state  of  Utah.  One  morning,  my 
mother  answered  a  knock  at  the  door 
and  was  confronted  there  by  a  large, 
frightening-looking  man,  who  asked  her 
for  money.  She  said,  "We  have  no  mon- 
ey." There  were  in  that  home  innumer- 
able children,  but  very  little  money.  He 
pressed  his  demands,  insisting  that  she 
give  him  some  money,  finally  saying, 
"I  am  hungry;  I  would  like  to  get  some- 
thing   to   eat." 

"Well,"  she  said,  "if  that  is  the  case 
then  I  can  help  you."  So'  she  hurried 
to  the  kitchen  and  fixed  him  a  lunch. 
And  I  am  sure  it  was  the  most  modest 
of  provisions.  She  could  tell  as  she  gave 
him  the  lunch  at  the  door  that  he  was 
not  pleased,  but  with  little  resistance  he 
took  the  lunch  and  left.  She  watched 
him  as  he  went  down  the  lane  through 
the  gate  and  started  up  the  road.  He 
looked  back,  but  he  did  not  see  her 
standing  inside  the  door,  and  as  he 
passed  the  property  line,  he  took  the 
lunch  and  threw  it  over  the  fence  into 
the  brush. 

Now,  my  mother  is  a  little  Danish 
woman,  and  she  was  angered;  she  was 
angered  at  the  ingratitude.  In  that  house 
there  was  nothing  to  waste,  and  she  was 
angered  that  he  was  so  ungrateful. 

The  incident  was  forgotten  until  a 
week  or  two  later;  she  answered  another 
knock  at  the  door.  There  stood  a  tall, 
raw-boned  teen-age  boy,  who  asked 
about  the  same  question  in  essentially 
the  same  words,  "We  need  help;  we 
are  hungry.  Could  you  give  us  some 
money;  could  you  give  us  some  food?" 
But  somehow  the  image  of  the  first  man 
appeared  in  her  mind  and  she  said, 
"No,"  excusing  herself,  "I  am  sorry.  I 
am  busy;  I  cannot  help  you  today.  I 
just  cannot  help  you."  What  she  meant 
was,  "I  won't.  I  won't.  I  won't  be  taken 
in  again."  Well,  the  young  man  turned 
without    protest    and    walked    out   the 


ELDER  BOYD  K.  PACKER 


119 


gate,  and  she  stood  looking  after  him. 
It  wasn't  until  he  passed  through  the 
gate  that  she  noticed  the  wagon,  the 
father  and  mother  and  the  other  young- 
sters, and  as  the  boy  swung  his  long 
legs  into  the  wagon,  he  looked  back 
rather  poignantly;  the  father  shook  the 
reins  and  the  wagon  went  on  down 
the  road.  She  hesitated  just  long  enough 
so  that  she  could  not  call  them  back. 

From  that  experience  she  drew  a  moral 
by  which  she  has  lived  and  which  she 
has  imparted  to  her  children,  and 
though  that  was  I  suppose,  nearly  fifty 
years  ago,  there  has  always  been  just 
a  tiny  hint  of  pain  as  she  recalled  the 
incident  with  this  moral:  "Never  fail 
to  give  that  which  you  have  to  someone 
who  is  in  need."  I  repeat,  "Never  fail 
to  give  that  which  you  have  to  someone 
who  is  in  need." 

I  stress  to  you  young  brothers  and 
sisters  in  the  Church  your  obligation  to 
give  that  which  you  possess  to  any 
who  may  be  in  need.  I  recognize  that 
admittedly  your  material  substance  is 
meager  compared  to  the  needs  of  the 
world,  but  your  spiritual  powers  are 
equal  to  the  needs  of  the  world.  I  urge 
you  to  resolve  with  me  that  never  so 
long  as  we  live  would  anyone  be  hun- 
gry, spiritually  or  physically,  that  we 
could  aid  and  assist. 

Now,  with  reference  to  obligation, 
one  day  two  of  our  boys  were  having 
a  little  difference  of  opinion.  That 
happens  in  the  best  of  homes,  I  am 
told.  There  was  just  a  little  fussing 
about,  and  I  stepped  in  as  referee,  and 
as  I  separated  them,  they  were  some- 
what resistant.  Just  then  the  younger 
brother  appeared  on  the  scene  and,  in 
what  I  since  learned  to  appreciate  as 
magnificent  English,  said  to  his  brothers, 
"Don't  you  know  you're  s'posed  to  mind 
the  one  what  borned  ya?" 

Now,  I  think  that  speaks  more  elo- 
quently than  I  can  to  my  teen-age 
friends.  "Don't  you  know  you  are  sup- 
posed to  mind  the  one  that  borned  you, 
spiritually  speaking?"  Your  responsi- 
bility for  giving  lies  just  ahead.  You 
have  a  twofold  opportunity.  First,  just 
ahead  of  you  in  the  mission  field  is  the 
opportunity  to  give  the  gift  that  has 
come  to  you  as  only  youth  can  give  it. 
And  then,  subsequent  to  that,  with  your 


life's  partner,  you  will  give  to  those 
little  boys  and  girls  who  will  populate 
your  kingdom  here  upon  the  earth. 

Do  you  remember  Clark,  the  boy  from 
the  other  ward  who  was  called  on  a  mis- 
sion to  Mexico?  I  saw  him  in  Mexico 
City  just  a  few  weeks  ago.  It  was  in- 
spiring to  be  around  him.  He  was  giv- 
ing; giving  the  gift  that  had  come  to 
him,  in  the  way,  I  repeat,  that  only 
youth  can  give  it.  You  recall,  also,  that 
his  mother  said  after  he  had  been  in 
the  mission  field  a  week  or  two,  "I 
think  they  are  working  him  just  a  little 
too  hard."  "I  think,"  she  said,  "that  he 
is  being  pressed  to  extend  his  ability  just 
a  little  bit  beyond  his  capacity." 

Now,  that  may  be  so,  but  my  young 
brothers  and  sisters,  we  do  not  fear  that 
challenge,  do  we?  Cannot  I  represent 
you  to  the  brethren  here  as  being  will- 
ing to  face  any  extent  of  pressure  and 
work  in  the  building  up  of  the  kingdom? 

Your  welfare  is  not  neglected,  and 
I  recognize  in  what  I  saw  in  Clark,  the 
most  profound  representation  of  the 
great  principles  of  the  welfare  program 
that  I  have  ever  witnessed;  for  in  his 
life,  work  has  been  enthroned  as  a  rul- 
ing principle.  It  was  in  1936  at  this 
pulpit  that  President  Heber  J.  Grant 
said,  "Work  is  to  be  re-enthroned  as 
a  ruling  principle  in  the  lives  of  our 
Church  membership." 

Where  else,  my  young  friends,  are 
you  pressed  to  that  point?  Where  is 
work  enthroned  in  your  lives  unless  it  is 
in  the  mission  field?  Now  we  know 
that  there  were  those  who  stumbled  be- 
tween Winter  Quarters  and  Salt  Lake 
Valley,  and  we  know  that  there  were 
those  who  limped  painfully  every  step  of 
the  great  trek  of  the  Mormon  Battalion, 
but  the  contest  was  not  called  off,  and 
the  campaign  was  not  cancelled.  I 
suppose  that  in  this  day,  in  this  work 
that  there  will  be  some  casualty,  and  I 
expect  there  may  be  some  mortality. 
But,  the  fight  with  sin  is  real,  it  will 
be  iong,  but  it  must  go  on,  and  I  urge 
you  young  friends  in  the  Church  to 
enlist  yourselves  and  to  put  your 
shoulder  to  the  wheel. 

This  boy  Clark,  it  is  magnificent  to 
see  what  has  happened  to  him.  It  did 
not  come  to  him  easily.  There  was 
sweat  on  his  brow,  and  there  were  tears 


120 

Sunday,  April  8 

on  his  pillow  before  he  had  achieved 
the  knowledge  of  how  to  work  strenu- 
ously, earnestly,  but  you  know  I  would 
not  like  to  have  him  come  home  and 
open  a  service  station  across  the  street 
from  one  that  I  was  trying  to  operate. 
He  knows  how  to  do  things.  He  knows 
how  to  do  them  with  energy,  with  en- 
thusiasm, with  capacity,  with  humility, 
with  deep  human  concern.  He  knows 
how  to  respect  his  fellow  men.  He  has 
not  failed.  He  has  lived  to  the  admoni- 
tion "never  fail  to  give  that  which  you 
have  to  someone  who  is  in  need." 

Obedient  to  that  admonition,  my 
young  friends,  I  would  like  to  share 
with  you,  that  which  has  come  to  me  by 
way  of  testimony  and  conviction.  Would 
you  understand  and  not  misunderstand 
if  I  should  say  that  which  I  have  earned 
by  way  of  conviction,  for  you  must  earn 
it  to  receive  it:  First,  having  so  recently 
been  called  to  represent  you  the  young 
people  among  these  brethren,  I  tell  you 
earnestly  that  I  sustain  the  General 
Authorities  of  the  Church.  I  have 
worked  with  them  at  close  view  for 
these  number  of  months.  I  have  seen 
humanity,  and  I  have  seen  dedication. 
I  have  seen  work,  and  I  have  seen  work, 
and  I  have  seen  work.  I  have  seen 
humility,  and  I  have  seen  righteousness. 
I  sustain  the  General  Authorities  of  the 
Church. 

Then  my  young  friends,  when  I  was 
just  a  little  younger  than  I  am  now,  I 
thought  that  there  ought  to  come  to 
one    who    is   called    to   be    a    General 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Third  Day 

Authority  of  the  Church  some  special 
conviction,  some  special  inner  strength 
to  build  him  up,  to  strengthen  him,  and 
I  testify  to  you,  my  young  friends,  that 
there  is.  I  say  to  you  that  I  know  that 
the  gospel  is  true,  and  then  I  say  that 
I  used  to  know  the  gospel  was  true 
also,  but  now  I  know. 

I  bear  witness  to  you  that  Jesus  is  the 
Christ,  that  he  lives,  that  he  is  a 
reality.  I  testify  that  our  Father  lives 
and  loves  us  and  as  young  people  will 
sustain  and  support  us,  as  we  rally  and 
as  we  are  willing  to  give  that  gift  which 
has  come  to  us  and  to  those  who  are  in 
need,  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ. 
Amen. 

President  David  O.  McKay: 

Elder  Boyd  K.  Packer,  Assistant  to  the 
Twelve,  has  just  addressed  us.  The 
Choir  and  Congregation  will  now  sing, 
"High  On  The  Mountain  Top,"  con- 
ducted by  Jay  E.  Welch.  After  the 
singing  Elder  A.  Theodore  Tuttle  of  the 
First  Council  of  Seventy,  and  president 
of  the  South  American  Mission,  will 
speak  to  us. 

Singing  by  the  Tabernacle  Choir  and 
the  Congregation,  "High  On  The  Moun- 
tain Top,"   Jay  E.  Welch   conducting. 

President  David  O.  McKay: 

Elder  A.  Theodore  Tuttle  of  the  First 
Council  of  Seventy  will  now  address  us. 


ELDER  A.  THEODORE  TUTTLE 

Of  the  First  Council  of  the  Seventy 


Mis  queridos  hermanos  y  hermanas, 
estoy  feliz  de  estar  aqui  con  ustedes  esta 
tarde.  I  could  not  resist  addressing  you 
in  the  language  of  the  people  that  I 
love,  and  whose  language  I  am  trying 
to  learn. 

I  bring  you  greetings  from  six  mission 
presidents  and  their  devoted  wives,  from 
over  800  missionaries,  and  over  20,000 
wonderful  Saints  in  South  America. 
Perhaps  the  most  interesting  thing  about 
the  number  of  the  20,000  members  is  not 
so  much  the  extent  of  the  growth, 
though  it  is  wonderful,  as  the  rate  of 


growth  which  has  occurred — in  fulfil- 
ment of  prophecy. 

I  would  like  briefly  to  relate  the  back- 
ground to  this  statement.  In  1851  it 
was  Parley  P.  Pratt  who  first  went  to 
South  America  after  visiting  the  South 
Sea  Islands  in  an  attempt  to  introduce 
the  gospel  to  South  America.  He  landed 
in  Valparaiso,  Chile,  just  after  a  revolu- 
tion, but  conditions  were  unfavorable 
to  the  establishment  of  the  gospel,  and 
in  a  few  months  he  returned  home.  It 
was  not  until  1925  that  Elders  Melvin  J. 
Ballard,   Rulon  S.  Wells,  and  Rey  L. 


ELDER  A.  THEODORE  TUTTLE 


121 


Pratt  were  assigned  to  South  America 
to  open  that  land  for  the  teaching  of 
the  gospel.  In  his  dedicatory  prayer 
Elder  Ballard  said  some  words  which 
I  should  like  you  to  hear:  "And  now,  O 
Father,  by  authority  of  the  blessing  and 
appointment  by  the  President  of  the 
Church,  and  by  the  authority  of  the 
Holy  Apostleship  which  I  have,  I  turn 
the  key,  unlock  and  open  the  door  for 
the  preaching  of  the  gospel  in  these 
lands,  and  we  do  bless  and  dedicate 
these  nations  of  this  land  for  the  preach- 
ing of  thy  gospel." 

On  July  4,  1926,  Elder  Ballard  uttered 
these  inspired  words:  "The  work  of  the 
Lord  will  go  slowly  for  a  time  here, 
just  as  an  oak  grows  slowly  from  an 
acorn.  It  will  not  shoot  up  in  a  day 
as  does  the  sunflower  that  grows  quickly 
and  then  dies,  but  thousands  will  join 
the  Church.  It  will  be  divided  into 
more  than  one  mission,  and  will  be 
one  of  the  strongest  in  the  Church.  The 
work  here  is  the  smallest  it  will  ever 
be.  The  day  will  come  when  the 
Lamanites  in  this  land  will  be  given 
a  chance.  The  South  American  Mission 
will  be  a  power  in  the  Church." 

In  1959  Elder  Harold  B.  Lee  partially 
fulfilled  that  prophecy  when  he  created 
the  fifth  mission — the  Andes  Mission — 
in  South  America,  and  in  his  address  at 
the  creation  of  that  mission,  he  also 
made  a  significant  statement — I  think 
a  prophecy.  He  said:  "In  my  judgment 
there  are  no  missions  in  the  world  which 
hold  so  much  promise  as  the  missions 
of  South  America.  The  work  is  going 
to  continue  to  grow,  and  we  have  not 
yet  seen  the  end  of  the  number  of  mis- 
sions that  will  be  established,  and  there 
are  those  here  that  will  see  that  growth." 

Six  months  ago,  under  the  direction 
of  the  First  Presidency,  it  was  our  privi- 
lege to  organize  the  Chilean  Mission — 
the  sixth  mission  of  the  Church  in  South 
America,  and  the  work  is  just  commenc- 
ing. It  took  thirty-three  years  in  order 
to  convert  the  first  10,000  people  to  the 
Church  in  South  America.  It  took  just 
three  years  to  convert  the  next  10,000. 
Last  year  alone  6,000  came  into  the 
Church.  Indeed  it  is  a  land  of  promise 
and  of  prophecy. 

I  am  grateful  to  have  the  privilege  of 
laboring  in   this   land.    It  has  been  a 


marvelous  experience  for  Sister  Tuttle 
and  me  to  take  our  young  family  down 
to  South  America  and  make  our  home 
there,  and  it  has  been  a  great  opportunity 
to  travel  abroad  on  that  vast  continent, 
trying  to  hasten  the  work  of  the  Lord 
as  Elder  Packer  mentioned.  I  lack  both 
the  time  and  the  vocabulary  to  describe 
adequately  this  great  and  varied  land, 
but  I  would  like  briefly  to  give  you  a 
glimpse  of  it. 

Perhaps  the  land  could  best  be  char- 
acterized as  a  sleeping  giant — both  giant 
and  sleeping.  There  is  tremendous  po- 
tential there.  There  are  mighty  rivers 
whose  power  for  the  most  part  rolls  on 
unharnessed;  fertile  soil,  yards  and  yards 
deep,  lies  undeveloped;  great  resources, 
dormant.  Almost  it  seems  as  though 
the  Lord  was  letting  this  happen. 

The  people  are  a  mixture  of  many 
nations,  mainly  Europeans  mixed  with 
the  Lamanite,  who  was  indigenous  to 
this  land.  Half  of  the  120  millions  of 
people  speak  Spanish;  the  other  half, 
Portuguese.  The  latter  are  found  in  the 
great  country  of  Brazil. 

These  people  are  not  lazy.  I  know 
they  have  been  characterized  as  lazy. 
It  is  true,  they  take  a  siesta,  but  they 
start  early,  and  they  go  late.  Many 
times  I  have  seen  women,  particularly 
Lamanite  women — always  with  a  baby 
strapped  across  their  backs — half  trotting 
along  the  street  whirling  a  little  spindle 
which  spins  the  yarn  from  the  wool 
which  they  have  in  their  hands.  They 
deserve  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  after 
these  many  hundreds  of  years — and  this 
too  in  fulfilment  of  prophecy. 

Politically,  I  know  little  about  the 
situation.  I  do  know  of  the  press  accounts 
from  there  (which  are  neither  as  good 
nor  as  bad  as  the  actual  situation). 
I  think,  however,  that  you  parents  need 
not  be  worried  about  the  safety  of  your 
sons  or  your  daughters  in  that  land. 
It  is  true,  there  is  always  a  threat,  and 
danger  is  more  or  less  constant,  but  I 
have  a  calm  assurance  in  my  heart  that 
God  lives;  he  is  in  his  heaven;  this  is 
his  work;  and  it  is  not  going  to  be  hin- 
dered by  the  whims  of  men. 

I  would,  however,  request  one  thing — 
that  each  of  you  join  with  your  sons  and 
daughters  and  with  us  in  fervent  prayer 
to  call   down  the  blessings  of  heaven 


122 

Sunday,  April  8 

upon  that  land,  that  the  leaders  may  be 
blessed  to  preserve  the  measure  of  peace 
that  will  make  it  possible  for  us  to  carry 
the  work  of  the  Lord  forward;  for  it  will 
be  the  means  of  saving  and  awakening 
this  great  people. 

One  of  the  most  thrilling  things  that 
I  have  observed  in  this  conference  are 
these  four  rows  of  men  down  here  wear- 
ing the  earphones.  Perhaps  because  I 
have  been  in  the  land  of  a  foreign 
tongue,  I  can  more  readily  appreciate 
the  opportunity  these  brethren  have  to 
come  from  such  distant  places  and  re- 
ceive the  counsel  of  the  brethren  first- 
hand in  their  own  tongue.  I  can  certain- 
ly say,  "Amen,"  to  Brother  Hinckley's 
statement  that  there  are  other  places 
where  nations  are  met  politically  to 
solve  their  problems,  but  that  here  is 
the  soul  and  the  heart  and  the  spirit 
that  will  ultimately  bring  peace.  Be- 
cause it  is  here  that  the  gospel  will  be 
taught  and  only  through  acceptance  of  it 
and  obedience  to  it  can  peace  come. 
There  is  no  other  way  that  all  men  can 
be  united  in  a  cause  that  is  greater 
than  their  own  nationalism,  except  in 
the  acceptance  of  the  universal  gospel 
of  Jesus  Christ. 

I  have  thrilled  as  I  sat  in  report  meet- 
ings and  heard  the  brethren  give  reports 
of  their  extensive  labors  both  at  home 
and  abroad;  where  they  speak  intimately 
of  such  places  as  Hamburg,  Glasgow, 
Tokyo,  Sidney,  Helsinki,  Manila,  and 
Bergen.  The  cause  of  truth  is  mightier 
and  more  widespread  than  ever  before 
in  the  history  of  the  world,  and  so  also 
is  the  power  of  error  and  evil.  But 
again,  in  my  soul  is  the  calm  assurance 
that  right  will  prevail  and  truth  will 
overcome.  While  all  around  nations 
fear  and  tremble  and  wonder  and  are 
uncertain,  we  are  certain  and  calm  and 
at  peace. 

But,  oh,  how  I  yearn  for  the  day  when 
in  these  meetings  the  brethren  will  give 
reports  on  such  places  as  Nanking,  Mos- 
cow, Delhi,  Bombay,  Dakar,  Leningrad, 
and  Jerusalem  and  speak  about  the 
conditions  in  the  branches  and  districts 
and  wards  and  stakes  in  these  places. 

How  can  this  be  achieved  and  hast- 
ened? By  obedience  to  and  acceptance 
of  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ — obedience 
by  us  who  believe  and  acceptance  by 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Third    Day 

the  world,  for  this  gospel  has  the  power 
to  change  men's  lives.  Because  I  have 
been  in  the  mission  field,  I  have  more 
readily  seen  the  power  of  the  gospel 
change  lives. 

Down  in  Brazil  I  listened  to  a  recently 
appointed  branch  president  say:  "Breth- 
ren, I  work  from  7  am  to  7  pm.  I  have 
set  two  nights  aside  for  my  family.  The 
other  five  nights  I  intend  to  be  at  the 
Church.  Brethren,  you  can  find  me 
there."  The  gospel  changes  lives.  It 
calls  forth  willing  service  and  gives  a 
man  a  worthy  cause. 

In  a  priesthood  leadership  meeting 
down  in  Chile,  one  of  the  brethren 
said,  "Who  would  have  thought  that 
two  years  ago  an  ordinary  mechanic 
like  myself  would  be  standing  in  front 
of  a  group  of  men  teaching  them  about 
the  things  of  the  spirit?  Here  I  am  not 
only  doing  that  but  serving  as  your 
branch  president  as  well."  The  gospel 
changes  lives.  It  releases  latent  potential. 

Down  in  Uruguay  I  heard  a  father 
say  of  his  son,  "Two  years  ago  when  my 
son  was  called  on  a  mission  I  wasn't 
even  a  member  of  this  Church.  Now 
when  my  son  is  released,  I  shall  welcome 
him  officially  into  his  branch  as  his 
branch  president.  Is  it  any  wonder  that 
I  am  almost  overcome  with  gratitude 
for  the  blessings  which  the  gospel  has 
brought  into  my  life — the  harmony  and 
the  unity  it  has  brought  to  our  family?" 
The  gospel  changes  lives.  It  brings  love 
and  unity  and  peace  to  families. 

In  Argentina  a  former  missionary  who 
is  now  married  and  has  two  children 
stood  and  said,  "If  I  received  a  call  to 
go  on  a  mission  again,  I  would  sell  my 
furniture  and  go."  To  you  brethren 
here  it  might  take  on  added  significance 
to  realize  that  that  young  man  had  no 
stocks,  no  bonds,  no  real  property,  no 
home,  no  car — only  furniture.  The  gos- 
pel changes  lives.  It  lifts  them  from  the 
realm  of  materialism  to  spirituality. 

I  heard  a  brother  in  the  Andes  Mis- 
sion say,  "You  men  are  my  brothers. 
If  my  family  joins  the  Church  and  are 
faithful,  they  will  be  my  brothers.  If 
not,  the  blood  relationship  is  not  as 
strong  as  the  brotherhood  and  gospel  ties 
in  this  Church."  The  gospel  changes 
lives.  It  unites  all  men  that  love  the 
truth  in  a  brotherhood. 


PRESIDENT  DAVID  O.  McKAY 


123 


There  is  a  building  program  going  on 
in  South  America  as  there  is  in  all  the 
world.  It  requires  the  assistance  of  a 
skilled  contractor  to  help  the  local 
people  build  the  churches.  Right  now 
there  is  some  unsuspecting  Spanish- 
speaking  contractor  here  in  North  Amer- 
ica who  is  going  to  receive  a  telephone 
call  and  have  an  interview,  and  if  he  is 
willing  and  worthy,  he  is  going  to  sell 
or  rent  his  home,  leave  his  job,  turn 
his  business  over  to  his  partner  or  his 
competitor,  take  his  family  and  head 
for  some  place  in  South  America  which 
heretofore  has  been  only  a  strange 
sounding    name. 

I  was  in  that  branch  three  weeks  ago. 
When  this  man  arrives  at  Asuncion, 
Paraguay,  he  will  find  a  people  that 
will  teach  him  love,  understanding  and 
brotherhood;  and  they  will  build  him 
into  a  better  man  while  he  helps  them 
build  a  chapel  to  worship  God.  The 
gospel  changes  lives  and  location,  and 
requires  sacrifice.  And  I  am  grateful 
that  it  does.  I  hope  we  never  lose  from 
this  Church  this  element  of  sacrifice.  It 
is  worth  the  sacrifice  to  have  the  peace 
and  assurance  come  to  you  that  God 
lives,  because  your  willingness  to  serve 
draws  you  closer  to  him. 

There  are  several  thousand  young 
men  and  women  this  year  who  also  will 
have  an  interview  with  their  bishops, 
and  if  they  have  prepared  themselves 
well  and  proved  themselves  worthy, 
they  will  receive  a  call  from  the  Prophet 
of  the  Lord  to  serve  their  fellow  men  by 
declaring  the  restoration  of  the  gospel. 
They  will  leave  school  and  scholar- 
ships. They  will  leave  their  jobs  and 
their  money  and  their  girls,  and  go  at 
their  own  expense  and  learn  a  foreign 
tongue  so  that  other  lives  may  be 
changed.  They  will  declare  that  God 
lives,  that  he  is  our  Father,  that  he  loves 
us.  They  will  declare  that  Jesus  Christ 
is  his  Son,  our  Redeemer.  They  will  de- 
clare that  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  has 
been  restored  in  this  day  through  the 
Prophet  Joseph  Smith.  They  will  declare 


that  a  new  witness  has  been  given  to 
the  world  in  the  form  of  the  Book  of 
Mormon,  which  declares  again  and  anew 
that  Jesus  is  the  Christ.  They  will  de- 
clare that  this  is  a  land  of  promise,  as 
Elder  Benson  so  impressively  said,  from 
which  this  gospel  is  to  go  forth  to  all 
the  world  to  bless  the  lives  of  all  of  our 
Father's  children. 

They  will  declare  that  the  priesthood 
has  been  restored  to  men  to  give  them 
power  to  baptize  and  to  bless  with  the 
Holy  Ghost  and  to  perform  all  of  the 
ordinances  which  are  necessary  for  the 
exaltation  of  man. 

Now  how  can  we  help,  and  what  can 
we  do?  Youth,  prepare.  Live  clean.  Be 
honorable.  Follow  the  counsel  you  have 
received  in  this  conference. 

Parents,  instruct.  Get  close  to  your 
families.  Perhaps  parental  advice  can 
best  be  summed  up  by  repeating  to  you  a 
telephone  conversation  from  an  eighty- 
eight-year-old  mother  up  here  to  her 
forty-year-old  son  down  in  Sao  Paulo. 
She  said,  "Son,  keep  your  faith,  do  your 
work,  pay  your  tithing,  live  the  gospel, 
say  your  prayers,  and  keep  your  testi- 
mony." He  said,  "She  has  given  me 
that  advice  all  her  life." 

I  am  grateful,  brothers  and  sisters, 
for  my  testimony  of  the  divinity  of  this 
work.  I  am  grateful  that  I  know  that 
the  great  and  noble  man  who  directs  this 
work  is  indeed  a  prophet  of  God.  I  am 
willing  to  sustain  these  brethren  of  the 
General  Authorities  in  their  holy  call- 
ings. I  am  willing  to  sustain  you  breth- 
ren in  your  offices  and  callings.  I  am 
grateful  to  have  membership  in  this 
Church  and  brotherhood  with  you. 

I  pray  that  the  Lord  will  continue 
to  touch  the  hearts  of  his  children  that 
they  will  respond  to  the  power  of  truth 
that  it  may  operate  in  their  lives  and 
change  enmity  to  love,  greed  and  ava- 
rice to  generosity,  apathy  to  righteous 
activity,  materialism  to  spirituality,  and 
unite  all  men  in  the  brotherhood  of  the 
gospel  in  ultimate  peace,  and  I  ask  it  in 
the  name  of  Jesus  Christ.    Amen. 


PRESIDENT  DAVID  O.  McKAY 


Elder  A.  Theodore  Tuttle  of  the  First 
Council  of  the  Seventy,  and  now  presi- 
dent of  the  South  American  Mission,  has 
just  addressed  us.    You  will  be  pleased 


to  know  that  we  already  have  word 
from  that  country.  I  read  one  telegram, 
and  here  is  another  from  Lima,  Peru. 
Just     think,     we     were     together    this 


124 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Sunday,  April  8 

morning  speaking  to  them  through 
short-wave  radio.  Here  is  an  answer 
from  the  people  listening  in:  "Short- 
wave program  of  inspirational  confer- 
ence received  perfectly  in  Lima,  Peru." 
The  cablegram  was  signed  by  Brother 
Vernon  Sharp,  president  of  the  Andes 
Mission. 

And  now  we  have  a  cablegram  from 
the  other  side  of  the  world:  "One  hun- 
dred and  two  French  members  in  Paris 
thrilled  to  hear  their  prophet,  leaders, 
choir.  Reception  good."  (Signed  by 
Shelby  Arigona,  branch  president.) 

I  know  that  I  express  the  gratitude  of 
your  hearts  for  the  men  who  own  these 
stations  and  who  have  united  with  the 
Church  in  the  great  effort  to  apply 
modern  invention  and  discoveries  to 
the  preaching  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus 
Christ.  If  we  had  had  to  pay  for  the 
television  and  radio  coverage  we  have 
had  today,  we  should  have  had  to  ex- 
pend thousands,  tens  of  thousands  of 
dollars.  These  men  who  have  united  in 
rendering  this  service  deserve  our  heart- 
felt gratitude  for  their  utilizing  modern 
discoveries  and  inventions  to  reach  these 
people  of  the  world — down  in  Central 
America,  South  America,  Africa,  France, 
Germany,  and  the  islands  of  the  sea. 
Just  realize  what  you  have  experienced 
today!    God  bless  these  men. 

The  Tabernacle  Choir  will  favor  us 
with  the  anthem,  "Worthy  is  the  Lamb," 
conducted  by  Richard  P.  Condie,  and 
the  benediction  will  be  offered  by  Elder 
Rulon  J.  Sperry,  formerly  President  of 
the  Netherlands  Mission,  after  which 
this  conference  will  be  adjourned  for 
six  months. 

The  singing  for  this  afternoon  and 
this  morning,  as  you  know,  has  been 
furnished  by  the  members  of  the  Taber- 
nacle Choir.  We  have  been  inspired 
by  their  singing.  I  should  like  to  say 
to  you  that  we  owe  this  group  of  singers 
a  great  debt.  It  is  through  their  singing 
and  their  influence  throughout  the 
world  that  we  have  had  the  unexcelled 
experience  today  of  speaking  to  the 
world.  Brother  Arch  L.  Madsen,  who 
is  head  of  KSL,  has  been  instrumental 
through  his  friends  and  associates  in 
radio  and  television  in  obtaining  this 
world-wide  coverage.  He  reported  that 
one  important  reason  why  these  owners 


Third  Day 

and  managers  of  stations  consented  to 
unite  with  us  in  this  conference,  was 
because  of  the  fact  that  their  stations 
could  bring  to  the  people  the  privilege 
of  listening  to  the  world-famous  Taber- 
nacle Choir,  and  that  was  a  drawing 
card,  of  course.  There  are  hundreds  of 
thousands  and  millions  of  listeners.  We 
were  very  pleased  to  have  the  Taber- 
nacle Choir  as  part  of  the  program 
this  day.  That  is  why  the  services  this 
morning  were  interrupted  at  certain 
times.  Some  stations  were  coming  on, 
and  other  stations  were  going  off. 

We  have  participated  this  morning 
in  something  that  is  greater  than  we 
really  knowl 

Now,  in  conclusion,  I  should  like, 
though  inadequately,  to  express  for  you 
our  appreciation  of  those  who  have 
participated  in  this  great  conference. 
First,  to  the  General  Authorities  for  the 
inspirational  messages  you  have  given. 
I  think  it  was  Carlyle  who  said,  "In 
this  world  there  is  one  god-like  virtue, 
the  essence  of  all  that  ever  was  or  ever 
will  be  of  god-like  in  this  world — the 
veneration  done  to  human  worth  by 
the  hearts  of  men."  It  is  in  that  spirit 
we  mention  the  following  and  head  it 
with  your  messages  throughout  the 
conference. 

Second,  to  the  public  press  and  the 
reporters  for  their  fair  and  accurate  re- 
ports throughout  the  sessions. 

Third,  for  the  co-operation  of  the  city 
officials:  As  you  have  driven  to  and 
from  Temple  Square  past  these  police- 
men standing  on  the  street  corners,  you 
have  noted  their  responsibilities  and 
how  faithfully  they  have  discharged 
them,  handling  carefully  the  increased 
traffic;  also  the  Fire  Department  and 
the  Red  Cross,  who  have  been  on  hand 
to  render  assistance  and  service  when- 
ever and  wherever  needed.  I  am  men- 
tioning this  because  you  know  it  is  a 
wonderful  thing  to  feel  the  spirit  of  co- 
operation in  this  great  city. 

Fourth,  to  the  Tabernacle  ushers  who 
have  rendered  service  quietly,  courteous- 
ly, and  efficiently  in  seating  the  great 
audience  at  these  conference  sessions. 

Fifth,  I  have  already  mentioned  the 
radio  and  television  stations.  Fifty-two 
television  and  twenty-four  radio  stations 
in  our  own  city  and  the  nation  for  the 


PRESIDENT  DAVID  O.  McKAY 


125 


first  time  have  carried  the  sessions  of  this 
conference  from  coast  to  coast  and  by 
short-wave  to  countries  all  over  the 
world.  This  has  been  the  means  of 
permitting  over  sixty  million  people  in 
the  United  States  and  Canada,  and 
many  thousands  more  in  foreign  coun- 
tries, to  hear  and  see  the  proceedings  of 
this  132nd  annual  conference. 

Sixth,  I  should  like  to  express  per- 
sonally and  publicly  my  appreciation 
of  the  management  of  the  Hotel  Utah 
and  their  associates,  men  and  women 
who  were  looking  after  your  comfort, 
and  particularly  Sister  McKay's  and 
mine — the  managerial  personnel,  the 
girls  running  the  elevators,  the  cooks, 
waitresses — nowhere  in  the  world,  I  care 
not  where  you  go,  will  you  find  more 
excellent  service. 

Seventh,  we  appreciate  especially 
those  who  have  furnished  the  singing 
throughout  this  conference:  The  Brigham 
Young  University  Combined  Choruses, 
a  large  choir  and  musical  instruments 
on  Friday,  April  6;  the  Ricks  College 
Choir  on  Saturday,  April  7;  the  Men's 
Chorus  of  the  Tabernacle  Choir  last 
evening. 

All  contributed  their  services — paid 
their  own  expenses  from  Provo,  Rex- 
burg,  and  other  places.  Any  call  was 
given  an  immediate  response. 

Today,  our  own  Tabernacle  Choir. 
You  know  what  reference  I  have  already 
made  regarding  our  appreciation  of  their 
services  to  the  world. 

Eighth,  we  must  not  overlook  these 
beautiful  daffodils  sent  to  us  by  airplane 
from  the  Tacoma  Stake  through  the 
kindness  of  the  Puyallup  Valley  Daffodil 
Festival.  And  these  calla  lilies  that 
came  by  air  from  the  high  priests  quo- 
rum of  the  Oakland-Berkeley  Stake. 
Ten  thousand  sweet  peas  from  the  Mesa 
Eleventh  Ward,  Mesa  Stake,  picked  by 
members  of  the  stake. 

Thank  you,  members  and  friends,  for 
these  beautiful  flowers  which  fill  the 
Tabernacle  with  sunshine  and  fragrance. 
We  appreciate  the  love  and  affection 
which  these  flowers  connote.  We  are 
not  unmindful  of  the  many  hours  spent 
by  the  members  of  the  Church  in  pick- 
ing and  arranging  these  flowers  for 
shipment  by  air. 

Now,  just  a  word  by  way  of  summary. 


The  paramount  theme  of  this  great  con- 
ference has  been  the  reality  of  God  the 
Father  and  his  Son  Jesus  Christ.  The 
founding  fathers  of  our  republic  in- 
corporated in  the  Preamble  of  our 
Constitution  their  belief  in  a  Creator 
who  had  created  mankind  on  a  basis  of 
equality  with  certain  inalienable  rights, 
chief  of  which  were  life,  liberty,  and 
the  pursuit  of  happiness. 

In  our  daily  desire  for  material  suc- 
cess and  pleasure,  we  have  a  tendency 
to  neglect  the  importance  of  the  Cre- 
ator's place  in  our  hearts  and  in  our 
homes;  and  in  social  intercourse  we  are 
prone  to  neglect  the  importance  of 
making  the  Creator  the  center  of  our 
lives. 

Our  religion  is  not  a  cloak  to  wear  on 
Sunday  and  be  hung  in  the  closet  for 
the  rest  of  the  week;  neither  is  it  some- 
thing for  nations  to  parade  on  certain 
occasions  and  then  to  wrap  up  in  moth- 
balls to  await  another  occasion. 

Men  today  are  rapidly  classifying 
themselves  into  two  groups:  believers 
and  nonbelievers. 

J.  Edgar  Hoover,  and  I  quote,  says: 
"There  is  no  place  here  in  America  for 
part-time  patriots.  This  nation  is  face 
to  face  with  the  greatest  danger  ever  to 
confront  it,  a  sinister  and  deadly  con- 
spiracy which  can  be  conquered  only  by 
an  alert,  informed  citizenry.  It  is  in- 
deed appalling  that  some  members  of 
our  society  continue  to  deplore  and  criti- 
cize those  who  stress  the  communist 
danger.  Public  indifference  to  this 
threat  is  tantamount  to  national  suicide. 
Lethargy  leads  only  to  disaster.  Knowl- 
edge of  the  enemy,  alertness  to  the 
danger,  everyday  patriotism  are  the 
brick  and  mortar  with  which  we  can 
build  an  impregnable  fortress  against 
communism." 

I  approve  with  all  my  heart  the  ap- 
peal made  by  Brother  Tuttle  that  only 
the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  will  unite  our 
hearts  in  faith  in  God  and  faith  in  his 
existence,  that  we  make  him  the  center 
of  our  lives,  and  that  the  gospel  of  Jesus 
Christ  is  the  plan  whereby  our  hearts 
and  lives  and  towns  and  nations  can 
be  united  in  bringing  about  universal 
peace  and  the  brotherhood  of  man. 

God  lives!  So  does  Jesus  Christ,  his 
Beloved  Son,  who  gave  the  gospel,  the 


126 

Sunday,  April  8 

eternal  plan  of  salvation  of  the  human 
soul.  The  Lord  himself  says,  ".  .  .  this 
is  my  work  and  my  glory — to  bring  to 
pass  the  immortality  and  eternal  life  of 
man"  (Moses  1:39) — all  mankind. 

We  have  had  a  beautiful  example  of 
mutual  service  and  mutual  love  through- 
out this  entire  conference  here  in  our 
own  city. 

God  bless  you,  brethren  and  sisters, 
may  you  carry  back  to  your  wards  and 
stakes  and  missions  the  spirit  of  this 
great,  greatest  of  all  conferences  ever 
held  in  the  Church.  I  pray  that  God 
will  bless  you  with  his  guiding  and 
protecting  influence,  that  you  may  return 
home  without  accident;  be  happy  in  the 
knowledge  that  you  are  members  of  this 
great  kingdom  and  that  you  contribute 
to  the  brotherhood  of  Christ.  May  that 
Spirit  emanate  not  only  from  you  and 
your  associates  in  the  Church,  but  from 
all  who  participated,  whether  they  are 
members  or  not,  in  making  this  con- 
ference so  ideally  successful,  I  pray  in 
the  name  of  Jesus  Christ.    Amen. 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


An  anthem,  "Worthy  Is  The  Lamb," 
was  sung  by  the  Tabernacle  Choir. 

Elder  Rulon  J.  Sperry,  formerly  presi- 
dent of  the  Netherlands  Mission,  offered 
the  benediction. 

Conference  adjourned. 


Third  Day 

The  Brigham  Young  University  Com- 
bined Choruses  furnished  the  musical 
numbers  for  the  Friday  morning  and 
afternoon  sessions.  Kurt  Weinzinger 
was  conductor  of  the  selections  during 
the  morning  session;  Maughan  McMur- 
die  conducted  during  the  afternoon 
session. 

The  musical  numbers  for  the  Satur- 
day morning  and  afternoon  sessions  were 
furnished  by  the  Ricks  College  Choir, 
with  Richard  W.  Robison  as  conductor. 

The  music  for  the  General  Priesthood 
Meeting  Saturday  evening  was  furnished 
by  the  Men  of  the  Tabernacle  Choir, 
Richard  P.  Condie,  conductor. 

On  Sunday  the  Tabernacle  Choir, 
Richard  P.  Condie,  conductor,  with  Jay 
E.  Welch,  assistant  conductor,  furnished 
the  choral  music  for  the  morning  and 
afternoon  sessions. 

Richard  P.  Condie  directed  the  sing- 
ing of  the  Tabernacle  Choir  on  the 
Tabernacle  Choir  and  Organ  broadcast 
Sunday  morning. 

Accompaniments  and  interludes  on 
the  organ  were  played  by  Alexander 
Schreiner  and  Frank  W.  Asper.  Frank 
W.  Asper  was  the  organist  at  the 
Tabernacle  Choir  and  Organ  broadcast. 

Joseph  Anderson 
Clerk  of  the  Conference 


CHOIR  AND  ORGAN  BROADCAST 


127 


SALT  LAKE  MORMON  TABERNACLE  CHOIR 
AND  ORGAN  BROADCAST 


The  following  broadcast,  written  and 
announced  by  Richard  L.  Evans,  and 
originating  with  Station  KSL,  Salt  Lake 
City,  Utah,  was  presented  from  9:35  to 
10:00  a.m.  Sunday,  April  8,  1962, 
through  the  courtesy  of  Columbia  Broad- 
casting System's  network,  throughout  the 
United  States,  parts  of  Canada,  and 
through  other  facilities  to  several  points 
overseas.    The  broadcast  was  as  follows: 

(The  organ  played,  "As  The  Dew 
From  Heaven  Distilling,"  and  on  signal 
the  Choir  and  organ  broke  into  the 
Hymn,  "Gently  Raise  The  Sacred 
Strain,"  singing  the  words  to  the  end 
of  the  second  line,  and  humming  to  end 
of  verse  for  announcer's  background.) 

Announcer:  Once  more  we  welcome 
you  within  these  walls  with  music  and 
the  spoken  word  from  the  Crossroads 
of  the  West. 

The  CBS  Radio  Network  and  its 
affiliated  stations  bring  you  at  this  hour 
another  presentation  from  Temple 
Square  in  Salt  Lake  City,  with  Richard 
P.  Condic  conducting  the  Tabernacle 
Choir,  Frank  Asper,  Tabernacle  Organist, 
and  the  spoken  word  by  Richard  Evans. 

The  Choir  turns  first  today  to  the 
words  of  Emma  Lazarus  unforgettably 
inscribed  upon  the  Statue  of  Liberty  and 
in  the  hearts  of  many  men  world-wide: 
"Give  me  your  tired,  your  poor,  Your 
huddled  masses  yearning  to  breathe 
free,  The  wretched  refuse  of  your  teem- 
ing shore.  Send  these,  the  homeless, 
tempest-tossed  to  me.  I  lift  my  lamp 
beside  the  golden  door!" 

(The  Choir  sang:  "Give  Me  Your 
Tired,   Your  Poor." — Berlin-Ringwald.) 

Announcer:  Frank  Asper  selects  today 
one  of  the  celebrated  16th  Century 
Psalm  settings  of  Benedetto  Marcello. 

(Organ  Selection:  "Allegretto." — Mar- 
cello-Brydson.) 

Announcer:  Turning  now  to  the 
music  of  Mendelssohn  we  hear  the 
Tabernacle  Choir  recall  a  sacred  song: 
"I  waited  for  the  Lord,  He  inclined  unto 
me,  He  heard  my  complaint  .  .  .  O 
bless'd  are  they  that  hope  and  trust 
in   the  Lord.  ..." 

(The  Choir  sang:  "I  Waited  For  The 
Lord." — Mendelssohn. ) 


Announcer:  Often  we  hear  people  dis- 
cuss the  odds  on  certain  prospects  or 
proposals — the  chances  of  winning  or 
losing — of  success  of  failure  in  many 
matters.  And  sometimes  we  hear  quite 
casually  the  question,  "What  have  we 
got  to  lose?"  There  are  many  hazards, 
many  chances,  many  so-called  "calcu- 
lated risks."  But  the  hazards,  the  risks 
can  be  reduced  by  the  sincere  resolve  not 
to  take  dishonest  or  unethical  or  illegal 
changes,  not  to  run  against  the  law,  the 
commandments,  the  rules  of  health,  the 
rules  of  safety,  or  the  time-proved  prin- 
ciples. Arthur  Brisbane  said:  "Life  is 
a  short  walk  along  a  narrow  thread  .  .  . 
beginning  and  ending  in  a  mysterious 
unknown.  .  .  .  Life  is  short  as  we  see 
it,  but  in  reality  .  .  .  never  ends — and, 
long  or  short,  it  is  all  that  we  have."1 
Life  is  all  we  have,  here  or  hereafter. 
And  since  this  is  so,  no  one  wisely 
would  take  chances  on  matters  of  morals, 
of  honesty,  or  matters  contrary  to 
a  quiet  conscience.  As  to  lawlessness, 
or  any  evil  action,  even  if  we  don't  get 
caught  by  someone  else  we  get  caught 
with  our  own  conscience;  we  get 
caught  with  loss  of  self-respect,  with  not 
liking  ourselves  inside.  The  odds  on 
losing  health,  on  losing  honor,  on  losing 
life,  on  losing  loved  ones,  on  losing 
a  quiet  conscience  could  scarcely  be 
called  a  good  gamble.  And  to  anyone 
who  says  you  likely  won't  get  hurt,  or 
you  likely  won't  get  caught,  or  likely 
you  will  get  away  with  it,  the  answer 
wisely  would  be:  "I  am  not  interested  in 
the  odds  or  the  averages — I  am  all  I 
have.  Life  is  all  I  have."  The  odds  and 
the  averages  are  not  much  comfort  to 
a  person  who  personally  loses  what  is 
most  precious  and  important.  Anyone 
who  takes  a  dare  he  shouldn't  take,  or 
involves  himself  in  shady  ventures,  or 
gambles  his  health,  his  happiness,  his 
peace,  his  principles — anyone  who  takes 
a  so-called  calculated  risk  where  such 
precious  and  irreplaceable  things  are 
laid  on  the  line — would  prove  himself  to 
be  incalculably  unwise,  no  matter  what 
he  thinks  the  odds  are.  In  all  such 
considerations    the    answer    should    be 


Accredited   to   Arthur  Brisbane. 


128 


CHOIR  AND  ORGAN  BROADCAST 


simply:  "I'm  not  interested  in  averages 
or  odds.  I  am  all  I  have — life  is  all  I 
have — life  and  loved  ones  everlastingly." 
What  do  we  have  to  lose?  In  the  words 
of  Albert  Camus:  "We  have  nothing 
to  lose — except  everything."2 

(Organ  Selection:  "Evensong." — Schu- 
mann.) 

Announcer:  With  Frank  Asper  at  the 
Tabernacle  Organ  we  have  heard, 
"Evensong,"  by  Robert  Schumann. 

And  now  the  Choir  recalls  one  of 
the  hymns  of  Parley  P.  Pratt,  sung  to 
a  tune  by  John  Tullidge:  "An  angel 
from  on  high  the  long,  long  silence 
broke." 

(The  Choir  sang:  "An  Angel  From 
On  High."— Tullidge.) 

Announcer:  The  Men's  Chorus  of 
the  Tabernacle  Choir  recalls  in  closing 
a  hymn  by  O.  P.  Huish:  "Jesus,  my 
Savior  true,  Guide  me  to  thee;  Help  me 
thy  will  to  do;  Guide  me  to  thee;  E'en 

2Albert   Camus,   French   Journalist. 


in  the  darkest  night,  As  in  the  morning 
bright,  Be  thou  my  beacon  light;  Guide 
me  to  thee." 

(The  Men's  Chorus  sang:  "Guide  Me 
To  Thee."— Huish.) 

Announcer:  Again  we  leave  you  with- 
in the  shadows  of  the  everlasting  hills. 
May  peace  be  with  you,  this  day — and 
always. 

This  concludes  the  seventeen  hundred 
and  third  presentation,  and  continues 
the  33rd  year  of  this  traditional  broadcast 
from  the  Mormon  Tabernacle  on  Tem- 
ple Square,  brought  to  you  by  CBS 
Radio  and  its  affiliated  stations,  originat- 
ing with  Radio  Station  KSL  in  Salt  Lake 
City. 

Richard  P.  Condie  conducted  the 
Tabernacle  Choir.  Frank  Asper  was  at 
the  organ.  The  spoken  word  by  Richard 
Evans. 

In  another  seven  days,  at  this  same 
hour,  music  and  the  spoken  word  will 
be  heard  again  from  the  Crossroads  of 
the  West. 


Index 

Page 

Adams,  Elder  Orval  W 23 

Anderson,  Elder  Joseph,  Clerk  of  the  Conference  1,  21,  126 

Authorities  and  Officers  Present  __ 1 

Authorities  and  Officers  Sustained 24 

Benson,  Elder  Ezra  Taft 103 

Brown,  President  Hugh  B 106 

Brown,  President  Hugh  B 87 

(General  Priesthood  Meeting) 

Brown,  President  Hugh  B 77,  78,  81,  84,  87,  90,  93,  95,  106 

Brown,  Bishop  Victor  L 81 

(General  Priesthood  Meeting) 

Burton,  Elder  Theodore  M 54 

Choir  and  Organ  Broadcast 127 

Christiansen,  Elder  EIRay  L 32 

Church  Finance  Committee  Report  23 

Critchlow,  Elder  William  J.,  Jr 36 

Dyer,  Elder  Alvin  R 9 

Evans,  Elder  Richard  L 96 

Evans,  Elder  Richard  L 127 

(Choir  and  Organ  Broadcast) 

Finance  Committee  Report  23 

First  Day — Morning  Meeting 3 

First  Day — Afternoon  Meeting 21 

General  Authorities  and  Officers  Present  1 

General  Authorities,  Officers  and  Auxiliary  Officers  Sustained  24 

General  Priesthood  Meeting  77 

Hinckley,  Elder  Gordon  B 70 

Hunter,  Elder  Howard  W 74 

Isaacson,  Elder  Thorpe  B 67 

Ivins,  Elder  Antoine  R 45 

Kimball,  Elder  Spencer  W 59 

Lee,  Elder  Harold  B 29 

McKay,  President  David  0 5 

(Opening  Address) 
McKay,  President  David  0 93 

(General  Priesthood  Meeting) 
McKay,  President  David  0 123 

(Closing  Address) 

McKay,  President  David  0 3,  5,  9,  13,  16, 

20,  21,  23,  26,  28,  32,  34,  36,  39,  40,  44,  45,  47, 
50,  53,  58,  59,  64,  67,  70,  73,  76,  93,  95,  96,  98, 
99,   102,   103,  106,  110,   111,  115,  117,   120,   123. 

Moyle,  President  Henry  D 99 

Moyle,  President  Henry  D 23 

(Presentation  of  General  Authorities  and  Officers) 
Moyle,  President  Henry  D 90 

(General  Priesthood  Meeting) 
Obituaries 23 


130  INDEX 

Page 

Packer,  Elder  Boyd  K. 118 

Petersen,  Elder  Mark  E 111 

Presentation  of  General  Authorities  and  Officers ....  24 

Priesthood  Meeting,   General 77 

Richards,  Elder  Franklin  D 48 

Richards,  Elder  LeGrand  41 

Romney,  Elder  Marion  G 16 

Second  Day — Morning  Meeting  39 

Second  Day- — Afternoon  Meeting  58 

Sill,  Elder  Sterling  W 13 

Simpson,  Bishop  Robert  L 78 

(General  Priesthood  Meeting) 

Smith,  Elder  Eldred  G 65 

Smith,  President  Joseph  Fielding 44 

Sonne,  Elder  Alma 35 

Statistical  Report 21 

Sustaining  of  General  Authorities,  Officers  and  Auxiliary  Officers 24 

Tabernacle  Choir  and  Organ  Broadcast 127 

Tanner,  Elder  Nathan  Eldon 50 

Taylor,  Elder  Henry  D 27 

Third  Day — Morning  Meeting 95 

Third  Day — Afternoon  Meeting 110 

Turtle,  Elder  A.  Theodore 120 

Vandenberg,  Bishop  John  H 84 

(General  Priesthood  Meeting) 
Young,  Elder  Seymour  Dilworth 115 


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